Soundtrack of Our Lives
by aussiebabe290
Summary: We all have a soundtrack. Music that moves and makes us smile or cry while it transports us back to a time or place where we remember 'that song' was playing. Good times or bad times, every moment has a song. Read and review!
1. You Belong With Me

**Song: **'You Belong With Me'- Taylor Swift  
**Season:** 1  
**Pairing:** Heath/Fly  
**Author: **aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

Fly Watson sighed heavily, as she fiddled with the Scrabble tiles. The seven Solar Blue kids were deep in a game that particular Tuesday night, and Heath had paused the world to talk to his girlfriend.

Again.

"No, Jane, I didn't mean it like that!" Heath said desperately. "Jane that was a joke. Yes, I know it was a bad one. Matt just told me. No!"

_You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset  
She's going off about something that you said  
'Cause she doesn't get your humour like I do_

"Yes, I am listening to German hip hop. I LIVE with Anna, what am I supposed to do about it?"

Bec laughed and Anna huffed. Her German hip hop was almost always blasted through her earphones, but it seemed miracles were happening in the Solar Blue house. The other six kids had allowed her to play it on the stereo for twenty minutes. She was enjoying it.

Apparently, Jane was not.

_I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night  
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like  
And she'll never know your story like I do_

Fly sighed again.

"Jane, I have to go. No! I'm playing Scrabble with the guys... and the girls, do I have to specify everything? Okay, I will! Good night". Heath put the phone down and looked at the other kids. "She didn't like the music".

Fly snorted. "She doesn't like a lot of things", she mumbled.

"What was that, Fly?" Perri asked sweetly. The girls- and the guys- could see straight through Fly.

"Nothing. Heath, it's your turn". She straightened her shirt and looked straight at him. He flinched and looked down at his tiles.

_But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts  
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers  
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find  
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time_

"Shaboodle", Heath said confidently.

"Shaboodle is not a word!" Matt said quickly.

"Yes it is! As in the whole 'kit and shaboodle'!"

"Caboodle", Perri said. "Kit and CA-boodle!"

"You have no creativeness. Fly?"

"Whatever".

"You're the only one who understands me, Fly Watson". He grinned at her and Fly couldn't help the smile creeping onto her face.

"Bedtime, kiddies!" Deb called.

Groaning, the seven of them abandoned the board game and headed to their respective bedrooms.

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you  
Been here all along, so why can't you see?  
You, you belong with me, you belong with me_

* * *

After training the next morning, Fly and Heath strolled across the sand, laughing and joking together. Heath had a smile as wide as the entrance of Luna Park on his face, and Fly couldn't have been happier.

As the two of them sat on the wooden bench, Fly started giggling.

"What's so funny?" Heath wanted to know.

"Oh, nothing", Fly said.

_Walking the streets with you and your worn-out jeans  
I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be  
Laughing on a park bench, thinking to myself  
Hey, isn't this easy?_

"There's Jane", Heath said, almost sadly. "Do you want me to walk you back to the house?"

"I'll be fine", Fly said numbly, as Jane teetered towards them, in black high heels.

_And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town  
I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down  
You say you're fine, I know you better than that  
Hey, what ya doing with a girl like that?_

"Hi!" Jane said brightly, leaning in to kiss Heath.

"Hey", Heath mumbled, pulling her closer to him.

Fly wrinkled her nose and looked down at her worn out sneakers. She couldn't wear high heels for the life of her.

_She wears high heels, I wear sneakers  
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers  
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find  
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time_

Heath smiled at her, as he strolled off with Jane. Fly sighed and stood up, to make the lonely walk across the sand, back to Solar Blue.

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you  
Been here all along, so why can't you see?  
You belong with me_

* * *

"Hey Fly!" Bec called, knocking on the door and throwing herself down onto Anna's bed. Anna squeaked and clung on, praying she wouldn't fall and crumple her dress.

Fly giggled and turned the page in her magazine. "Hey Bec".

"So tell me, Fly. Are you coming to the dance?" Bec wanted to know.

"No. I thought you were going?"

"Perri's in the shower, and she's taking her time!" Bec exploded. Bec wasn't a very patient person.

"You should have come in earlier and had a shower", Anna said sensibly. Anna was wearing her casual blue dress, a small amount of makeup on her pretty features, and her silver sandals.

"I was racing Edge and I won", Bec said.

Perri appeared in the doorway, a towel wrapped around her. "Shower's free".

Bec took off and Fly just shook her head in amusement.

"Why aren't you coming, Fly?" Perri wanted to know.

Fly shrugged. "I don't really feel like it".

"You should come", Heath called, appearing in the doorway next to Perri. Perri headed towards her bedroom, to get dressed. "It won't be the same without you".

Fly smiled to herself.

_Standing by and waiting at your back door  
All this time how could you not know?  
Baby, you belong with me, you belong with me_

"Thanks, Heath", she almost whispered.

"Come on, kids!" Simmo called, about ten minutes later. "Into the mini van!"

Anna, Bec, Perri, Edge, Matt and Heath climbed into the orange and white mini van, Bec closing the door behind them. Fly watched from the lounge room window. Heath had a window seat- his favourite- and was looking quite upset.

"Heath!" Fly called loudly.

Heath snapped to attention, and Fly crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. Heath laughed, as Simmo backed the mini van out of the driveway.

_Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night  
I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're 'bout to cry  
And I know your favourite songs and you tell me 'bout your dreams  
Think I know where you belong, think I know it's with me_

Fly grinned at the retreating mini van and bolted towards the stairs. She grabbed her light blue sundress from the wardrobe and ran to the shower, hoping she wouldn't be too horrendously late.

_Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?  
Been here all along, so why can't you see?  
You belong with me_

"Deb!" she called. "Can I have a lift to the school?"

"I thought you weren't going?" Deb asked, amused.

"I changed my mind", Fly said sheepishly.

"Hop in". Deb located her car keys and Fly jogged towards her car, her black flats in her hand.

_Standing by and waiting at your back door  
All this time, how could you not know?  
Baby, you belong with me, you belong with me_

* * *

Fly burst in the doors of her school hall, looking around desperately for her Solar Blue housemates. Edge and Bec were the centre of the dance floor, showing off as their nature told them too.

Anna and Joe were laughing, cheering them on.

Perri was dancing elegantly, while having fun. Matt was dancing awkwardly, trying to hide himself from the other hundreds of students.

Jane was sipping a plastic cup of cordial, and Heath was next to her, looking bored out of his brain. It was Heath's nature to be moving and having fun- and he was doing neither.

"Fly!"

His entire face lit up when he set eyes on the small blonde. Fly skipped happily over to him.

"I thought you weren't coming!" he said, hugging her tight.

Fly took a deep breath and stood on her tippy toes to whisper in his ear. "You belong with me".

_You belong with me  
Have you ever thought just maybe  
You belong with me?  
You belong with me_


	2. Seven Things

**Song:** '7 Things'- Miley Cyrus  
**Season:** 1  
**Pairing:** Bec/Edge  
**Author:** aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

"Bec? Bec?" Dean Edgely waved his hand in front of her face obnoxiously. "Hello?"

Bec Sanderson snapped to attention, slapping his hand away. "What do you want?" she snarled.

"What is your problem?" he snapped back. "I asked had you finished your maths homework!"

"Oh. Yeah, I did". Bec slammed her maths textbook shut and stalked out of the kitchen, leaving Edge, Matt Leyland and Heath Carroll bewildered.

"Chicks". Heath just shook his head. "Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em".

* * *

Bec marched up the stairs, throwing herself onto her bed and kicking the door shut. Perri Lawe, her roommate and best friend, smirked from the other bed.

"Tough day?"

"Leave me alone".

Perri chuckled. "Its Edge, isn't it?"

"Shut up", she complained into her pillow, her voice severely muffled.

Dean Edgely- Edge to the mere mortals that were his housemates- was the reason for Bec's bad mood. She had no idea what they were any more- at the beginning of the year; they had been at each other's throats constantly, fighting. As the year progressed, they had developed an almost civil viewpoint. And, six months into the year they would spent together at Solar Blue Academy, Bec was wondering whether she was falling in love.

If she was honest, she liked the arguing. It gave them something to talk about, and their other housemates (Anna Peterson, Fly Watson, Matt, Heath and Perri) found the whole charade endlessly entertaining.

But their fighting relationship was gone, and she was stuck having to disguise her crush on him.

She hated him for it.

She hated the fact that he was vain. All he wanted to do was be the top of the scoreboard, and if he wasn't top of the scoreboard, God help them all.

She hated his games. He would flirt with her playfully for the entire night, and then they'd go to school the next day and it would be like he didn't even know she existed.

She hated his insecurity. He would tease and pick on Matt and Heath, all because he didn't want his flaws pointed out.

She hated the fact that he acted like he genuinely cared for her, and yet he flirted with every other girl at the school.

She hated that he had made her laugh, and she hated that he had made her cry. She didn't know which side of Dean Edgely was real.

She hated his friends at school, the ones who weren't from the Academy. They were idiots, and she hated when he acted like them, just to hurt her. All she wanted was the Dean Edgely was the one she knew.

The one she loved.

* * *

It was just Bec's luck that they were rostered off to cook together that night. The kitchen was deadly silent- someone could drop something and it was like thunder. They heard everything.

It was awkward.

All Bec wanted was an apology, for the way he had treated her at school. The night before had been fun- the seven teenagers had cleared their schedules (that is, they had all done their homework and assignments earlier in the day) and they had moved into the lounge room for a game of Scrabble. They had laughed over silly things that weren't even funny, and Edge had flirted incessantly with Bec.

And that morning, he had gone back to ignoring her.

He had apologized for his actions previously- he had texted it through the bedroom wall. Bec had deleted it immediately- an apology, in her opinion, was face to face and not through cyberspace.

She hated everything about Dean Edgely, she realised, as she watched him slice the knife through the button mushrooms. She hated his guts.

And yet, she loved everything about him.

She loved his sun streaked, shaggy blonde locks that fell onto his forehead at exactly the right angle, giving everyone a perfect view of his eyes.

She loved his eyes. The piercing, ice blue orbs that seemed to watch her every move.

She loved the way he wore his jeans- old, worn, dark blue denim, exactly the right fit.

When they were out on the ducky and he kissed her, she had been hypnotized, her eyes locked into his. It had felt so right, to be safe in his arms.

He had made her laugh, and he had made her cry, but that was both what she was going to have to deal with.

The weekend before, when they were on the lounge watching a scary movie, Edge had grabbed her hand, purely out of instinct, when he felt her tense up. They had been covered with blankets- as had everyone else- and Bec had felt comforted, his fingers intertwined with hers.

She wanted to be with the Edge she knew.

And the most that she loved about Dean Edgely?

He made her love him.

But, she didn't say anything- she just went on, silently slicing vegetables, sneaking glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking.


	3. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

**Read and review!**

**Love Rhyleigh xoxox**

* * *

**Girls Just Wanna Have Fun**

"We've been here for two weeks, right?" Perri Lawe said casually, lounging on her stomach.

"Right..." Bec Sanderson murmured, her nose in a book. "I'm sick of history!"

"We should have a sleepover".

"We live together".

"No, with Fly and Anna!"

"We live together", Bec repeated, confused. Setting the book down, she glanced at her roommate. "What are you on about, Perri?"

"How often in life are you gonna have the chance to live with your best friends?" Perri asked practically. "I mean, the seven of us are as close as they come, but we don't really know each other. Us girls need a chance to get to know each other, to bond!"

Bec just shrugged. "Okay... just let me finish my history homework first".

That remark got a pillow thrown at her head.

* * *

"Anna!" Perri called down the hallway.

"Hey Perri". Anna Peterson smiled warmly at her friend.

"Tonight. Party in our room". Perri grinned, her hazel eyes shining.

Anna was confused. "What kind of party?"

"Just a small get together".

"Who's coming?" she wanted to know.

"Well, you and Fly, and me and Bec, since its our room".

"Shouldn't the boys be there if it's gonna be a party?"

Bec popped up behind Perri. "It's a girly get together, Annie. Girls only!"

Anna just smiled, continuing down the hallway. "See you later!"

Bec turned to her roommate. "It's gonna be crazy, isn't it".

It was a statement, not a question. And yet, Perri managed to answer it.

"Yep". She nodded her head up and down, the smile getting wider with every nod.

* * *

"So what's going on?" Fly Watson wanted to know, padding into the room Perri and Bec shared.

"Come on!" Perri laughed, inviting her to sit on the bed with her. "We've been here, like, two weeks and we barely know each other! Like, what's the go with that?"

"We know plenty". Fly was confused, as she took a seat on Perri's bed.

"So, Annie", Bec said, facing Anna. "Got a boyfriend?"

It was a known fact in the Solar Blue house that, every year, the hormonal teenagers would partner up. it was a fact that Simmo and Deb had introduced them too on their very first day- Judgement Day, as it had become to be known- and they were curious to see how that would pan out (they had already heard every cure to pash rash available). Although, this year was different from the rest. This year had four girls and only three boys- Bec was expecting a big, complicated love triangle or something of the sort.

"In Germany". Anna blushed furiously, hugging a pillow to her chest. Her face was scarlet from embarrassment. "what about you?"

"I'm as single as the day I was born", Bec said airily. Ten she thought it over. "But I'm a twin, so that doesn't really make sense".

Fly giggled.

"What about you, little Fly?" Perri queried, using Matt's pet name for her (the name Matt and only Matt could use). "We've seen the looks you and Heath give each other? What's the go there?"

Fly blushed harder than Anna. "we're just friends... there's nothing between me and Heath". Fly may have been the youngest and the quietest, but by no means did it mean she was the slowest. "What about you and Matt, Perri? Whenever a boy calls the house he goes all droopy and puppy-dog-eyed!"

Perri blushed. "I'll admit to there being something between Matt and me when Bec admits to there being something between her and Edge- and when you admit to there being something between you and Heath. And Anna? You and Bec's brother Joe. 'Nuff said".

They were so caught up in the giggling, gossipy session they had going they didn't notice when Bec slipped the CD her younger brother had made for her last birthday into the CD player. Cindi Lauper's 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' began to play, suiting their mood completely.

_I come home in the morning light  
My mother says, "When you gonna live your life right?"  
Oh mother dear we're not the fortunate ones  
And girls they wanna have fun  
Oh girls just wanna have fun_

And none of them made it back to their beds that night- they crashed in a pile of limbs in the middle of the floor.


	4. Lucky

**Song: **'Lucky'- Jason Mraz ft. Colbie Callait  
**Season: **1  
**Pairing: **Heath/Fly  
**Author:** aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

"Who's cooking tonight?" Heath Carroll wanted to know.

Fly Watson shot him a grin. "We are!"

"We're eating tonight!" Matt Leyland whooped, getting a death stare from Dean 'Edge' Edgely.

"For the last time, it wasn't my fault he forgot about the potatoes!" Bec Sanderson exploded. "We didn't even cause a fire this time!"

"We know, honey", Perri Lawe soothed. "It's not your fault you both suck at cooking".

Bec glared at her roommate and Anna Peterson exploded into giggles.

"Get out of my kitchen!" Heath shooed them out the door and turned to Fly expectantly. "What's on the menu for tonight, little Fly?"

"Chicken soup", Fly read, pulling the yellow sticky note off the fridge and showing Heath. He blushed and yanked open the fridge, sticking his head inside to find the ingredients.

He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was in love with Fly Watson.

She had been his best friend ever since they entered the Solar Blue Surf Academy boarding house, four months ago. He had stood up for her at school, been there for her when she needed him and had just generally been a friend. They were probably the closest of the seven in the boarding house- they treated each other like siblings.

Heath would fight with the boys, and he would emerge from the boys' bathroom in the morning to find Perri and Bec battling it out to get into the bathroom. They all argued during board games, and they teased each other for their lack of cooking skills.

But Heath knew he liked Fly more than he liked a sibling.

But he hadn't said anything.

_Do you hear me?  
I'm talking to you  
Across the water  
Across the deep blue ocean  
Under the open sky  
Oh my, baby I'm trying_

Fly grinned, as Heath diligently chopped the carrots. In the boarding house, it was clear that they were the closest.

But what Fly couldn't work out was if she liked Heath as a friend or more than a friend.

He made her laugh, he had made her cry. He had nicknamed her, something she never let anyone do. She was just Fly- but Heath had made her feel special by adding a 'little' before it.

She didn't know what she was feeling, but the boy was suddenly appearing in her dreams.

_Boy I hear you in my dreams  
I feel your whisper across the sea  
I keep you with me in my heart  
You make it easier when life gets hard_

Heath held up two sticks of carrot, holding them a few millimetres away from his mouth. "Hey Fly! I'm a walrus!"

Fly burst into pearls of laughter- it was something as stupid as that that made her love him even more. They could be as silly as they wanted with each other, and it didn't even matter.

_Lucky I'm in love with my best friend  
Lucky to have been where I have been  
Lucky to be coming home again_

Heath smiled, hearing Fly's sweet laugh. How he loved that laugh.

He wanted every day to be like the day he kissed her.

Apart from the fact they were almost arrested.

He wanted everything to be the same, minus the police.

_They don't know how long it takes  
Waiting for a love like this  
Every time we say goodbye  
I wish we had one more kiss  
I'll wait for you, I promise you I will_

Fly Watson just grinned, as Heath continued to chop the carrots. It was moments like that she wanted to go back to the day where they had kissed.

It had been perfect. The island was gorgeous, they had splashed around in the sun, sculling strawberry milkshakes and eating greasy hot chips. The perfect way to let loose after tough training.

And they had.

_Lucky I'm in love with my best friend  
Lucky to have been where I have been  
Lucky to be coming home again  
Lucky we're in love in every way  
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed  
Lucky to be coming home someday_

All Heath wanted was to take Fly back to the island. He had taken a photo of her, right after he had stuck a frangipani in her hair. She had grinned, her sweet smile lighting up his whole world.

She was gorgeous, lying there on the warm sand, soaking up the sun's rays. The light blue bikini, her long blonde hair blowing in the wind- the flower in her hair.

She was beautiful.

He had paid more attention to her that day than he had to the other five put together.

_And so I'm sailing through the sea  
To an island where we'll meet  
You'll hear the music fill the air  
I'll put a flower in your hair_

Fly wanted to be with Heath, on the island. He had sat there, with her, his tanned, muscular figure glinting in the sunlight.

She wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, but she liked being there with him. While the others frolicked around in the water, they talked.

And she had listened to every word he had to say.

When the weather got cooler, he had wrapped an arm around her.

And that was how they had stayed, until they were informed they had to go or they'd miss dinner.

_Though the breezes through the trees  
Move so pretty, you're all I see  
As the world keeps spinning round  
You hold me right here right now_

Neither Fly or Heath were going to admit their feelings towards each other- but they both knew they were there.

"Something's burning!" Matt called from the lounge room. "We can all smell it, Heath Carroll!"

Heath swore gently under his breath, ripping the pot off the stove, waving away the steam that had gathered. "We all suck at cooking in this house".

Fly tipped the vegetables into the pot. "It'll be our little secret, Heath".

No one else knew about the kiss.

And it seemed they were going to keep it that way.

They both grinned knowingly at each other, as Heath set the pot back on the stove.

_Lucky I'm in love with my best friend  
Lucky to have been where I have been  
Lucky to be coming home again  
Lucky we're in love in every way  
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed  
Lucky to be coming home someday _


	5. Just A Girl

**Song:** 'Just A Girl'- Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus  
**Season:** 1  
**Pairing:** Fly  
**Author:** aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

Fly Watson sniffed, burying her head under her pillow. It was really late at night or really early in the morning, whichever way you looked at it. The point was, she was awake and she was the only one awake. Silence was a rare thing in the Solar Blue boarding house- and silence was what she was greeted with.

Anna Peterson sighed in her sleep, rolling over to face the wall. The truth was, Anna should be the one who was homesick. She was one of the older girls, and she had travelled halfway across the world to get to Sydney. Fly had travelled two days on a bus- and yet she was the homesick one. Fly was from Margaret River, Western Australia, and had grown up on a farm with five older sisters. Suddenly, she had been shifted- under her own will- to Sydney, NSW, one of the busiest cities. She was living the high life at the academy...

But she was homesick. She missed Jen's bad jokes; she missed Nell's gentle teasing. She missed 'family game night' (as lame as it sounded to the teenagers she shared a house with, it was her favourite night of the week), and she missed sharing a rickety old double bunk with Josie. Instead, she was living with six other teenagers (three girls, three boys), and sharing a room with Anna. Only one roommate- at home she had three.

And the worst part about being in Sydney?

She had lost touch with her family. She loved them, and granted, they loved her, but they didn't have the same bond they used to. Fly was the baby of the family, much like she was in her Solar Blue family. But her Solar Blue family hadn't been there when she broke her wrist, and they hadn't witnessed her grow up from a tiny, premature baby to the teenager they had met a month ago.

_I'm just a girl  
With a dream that got the best of me  
In a world, that believes fame is everything  
Got outta touch  
With the ones who gave me my wings to fly, to fly_

She was just a girl. The same, regular teenage girl that her family knew and loved- but her dream to be a pro surfer had gotten the better of her. She wanted to be home in the arms of her father, sharing a bunk with Josie.

When she made it into the finals in Sydney, the letter told her to pack like she had already been accepted into the academy. So she had packed her bags and farewelled her family- the family that had dug deep to be able to afford it.

Deep down, she had known that if she hadn't accepted her place in the academy, she would regret it. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, offered to six teenagers every year. She promised her parents and her sisters that she would try her hardest in Sydney, because she knew they would be with her in spirit.

_I'm just a girl  
With a dream that got the best of me  
In a world, that believes fame is everything  
Got outta touch  
With the ones who gave me my wings to fly, to fly_

As the tears rolled down Fly's face, she made a vow to herself.

She would stop regretting her position in the academy, and would call her family in daylight hours...

And heal all the open wounds.


	6. Its Raining on Prom Night

**Read and review!**

**Love Rhyleigh xoxox**

* * *

**It's Raining On Prom Night**

"Very nice!" Deb Callum complimented, as the four girls stepped out of the bathroom they shared. For the past three hours, Perri Lawe had quarantined the girls upstairs, going through intense makeup, hair and dress routines. As a result, Anna Peterson, Fly Watson, Bec Sanderson and herself were radiating with beauty.

That night was their formal, and while none of them had the dates that Deb and Craig 'Simmo' Symmonds thought they would have, they were dressed to the nines.

"Careful", Simmo warned, as Fly tripped. He took her hand and guided her down the stairs, presenting her to Heath. He shook his head.

"She's not my date".

Simmo was hardly surprised- he loved the kids no end, but they made no sense. One moment they were best friends, the next they were worst enemies. He figured it was simply another lover's tiff, and everything would be sorted by the end of the night.

"Come on", he invited, opening the van door.

The white and orange van was the one they had spent the entire year travelling in, sitting in piles of sand, salt water dripping off the bottom of their board shorts. Laughter and tears had been shed in the backseats, but never did they think they'd be climbing into the beast...

Pulling their dresses behind them.

"Aw, it's nice", Perri said soppily.

"They're predicting rain", Edge said slowly, sneaking in the back.

"Where were you this afternoon?" Bec asked suspiciously.

"Nowhere".

"What were you doing?"

"Nothing".

"Edge!"

"Drop it, Bec", he said sharply.

"Hey Bec", Heath said cheekily, holding out his hand. "Wanna dance?"

"I'd love to". Shooting daggers at Edge, she followed Heath onto the dance floor- the same floor they had sat for assemblies on many occasions.

It didn't have the same magic it was supposed to. The theme was their 'fairytale' ending, but their fairytale ending couldn't happen unless all the princes and princesses were paired off with the right partner.

Everyone knew that Fly belonged with Heath, not Edge. And Bec was definitely with Edge. Matt and Perri were together, if they just worked up the courage to tell each other.

And Anna and Joe?

They'd have their fairytale ending if they would just admit they belonged together.

* * *

_I was deprived of a young girl's dream  
By the cruel force of nature from the blue  
Instead of a night full of romance supreme  
All I got was a running nose and Aegeatic flu_

"Yeah, Simmo's going to be happy about this", Perri said sarcastically, as she helped Edge mop the blood off his face. "What is the matter with you, Edgely? You couldn't have waited until we got home? Now we're going to be grounded for the rest of the year!"

"We were going to be grounded no matter when it happened", Heath said angrily, kicking the wall.

"Heath!" Bec snapped.

Matt sighed, leaning on Anna. "This isn't going to go down with Deb and Simmo, is it?"

Anna shook her head. "They're going to freak".

"We didn't get our fairytale ending", Fly whispered, watching the rain pour down in sheets.

_It's raining on prom night, my hair is a mess  
It's running all over my taffeta dress  
It's wilting the quilting on my maiden form  
And mascara flows right down my nose, because of the storm_


	7. For Good

**Song:** 'For Good'- the musical 'Wicked' (Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth)  
**Season:** 1  
**Pairing:** Perri/Bec  
**Author:** aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

Perri Lawe couldn't help the tears that had gathered in her eyes, as she opened her suitcase, for the first time in twelve months. Twelve months she had been at Solar Blue Surf Academy, and she had lived the high life with her best friends.

Matt was her Prince Charming on a surfboard, Fly was their sweet, giggly girl, and Anna was their toughie. Edge, who found it easier to bicker with them than show his heart, Heath, the joking kid who had caught everything on camera. And her roommate and ultimate best friend. Bec was the local surfer chick, who knew the beaches like the back of her hand.

She loved them all, and they were leaving, going their separate ways in the world.

_I've heard it said  
That people come into our lives for a reason  
Bringing something we must learn  
And we are led  
To those who help us most to grow  
If we let them  
And we help them in return  
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true  
But I know I'm who I am today  
Because I knew you_

"Are you alright, Perri?" Bec wanted to know, perching cross legged on the end of Perri's bed. "You're very quiet".

Normally, Perri was the one asking Bec to turn down her chatter, so she could attempt to get something done. The two couldn't get through the day without an argument, and that was the best part about their friendship. It was how they lived.

"I'm fine", Perri said thickly. "I'm just going to miss this place, that's all".

Bec smiled. "We're had some good times, haven't we? Remember the first sleepover we had?"

"Hardly a sleepover", Perri snorted, wiping her eyes. "They live in the next room, Bec, that doesn't count as a sleepover".

"Remind me again whose idea it was, Perri Lawe?" laughter danced in her coffee coloured eyes, as she giggled at her roommate.

"I will admit, Bec, that was my idea". Giggling, Perri tossed a jacket into the bottom of her suitcase. "I just can't believe we're leaving".

"It's too soon", Bec agreed firmly.

_Like a comet pulled from orbit  
As it passes a sun  
Like a stream that meets a boulder  
Halfway through the wood  
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?  
But because I knew you  
I have been changed for good  
_

Bec had grown accustomed to waking up in the morning to hear Perri's gentle breathing, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she flailed around to turn off the alarm clock. Out of all the kids in the house, they were the most competitive, agreeing and yet disagreeing in the same motion. She was the only girl at home- and here she had three sisters, that she loved.

_It well may be  
That we will never meet again  
In this lifetime  
So let me say before we part  
So much of me  
Is made of what I learned from you  
You'll be with me  
Like a handprint on my heart  
And now whatever way our stories end  
I know you have re-written mine  
By being my friend...  
_

They knew that nothing, after Solar Blue, would be the same. It wouldn't be the same waking up in the morning and not finding a house full of teenagers. There would be no more inedible dinners, prepared by their best friends. No coaches to gently chide and yet parent them at the same time. And they knew- they knew- that they would never be the same again. Bec had six separate handprints on her heart- one for each of her fellow housemates.

_Like a ship blown from its mooring  
By a wind off the sea  
Like a seed dropped by a sky bird  
In a distant wood  
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?  
But because I knew you  
_

"It'll never be the same, will it?" Perri asked.

_Because I knew you_

"Nope".

_I have been changed for good_

"I'm sorry", Bec offered. "You know, for being a bad roommate and everything".

_And just to clear the air  
I ask forgiveness  
For the thing I've done you blame me for_

"You? A bad roommate?" Perri snorted. "You're looking at the most un-morning person in the entire world! I'm basically the Wicked Witch in the morning".

_But then, I guess we know  
There's blame to share  
_

"Not that I noticed", Bec said cheekily, earning a thwack to the face with a pillow. Giggling, Bec rolled off the bed and snatched up her own pillow, thumping Perri back just as hard. Squealing, the two launched into a full-on pillow fight, as they had so many time during the year.

_And none of it seems to matter anymore_

Sighing, Bec fell to the floor, hugging Perri hard. "I'm gonna miss you".

"I'm gonna miss you too", Perri mumbled into Bec's brown hair, finally letting the tears fall.

_Like a comet pulled from orbit  
As it passes a sun  
Like a stream that meets a boulder  
Halfway through the wood  
_

"This isn't the end, is it?" Perri fretted. "I mean, this isn't the last time we'll see each other?"

"We'll be back, one day", Bec said knowingly. "All of us. So much for Edge's stupid 'fishbowl' theory or whatever he was talking about the other night. We'll all be back in Blue Water one day, playing Scrabble around the coffee table. And we might even be able to convince Heath that 'shaboodle' isn't a word!"

Perri spluttered with laughter.

_Like a ship blown from its mooring  
By a wind off the sea  
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood  
_

"Nothing's gonna change, Perri. We're all together, really", Bec said wisely, hugging her tight. "Because we're best friends. And best friends change the others".

_Who can say if I've been  
Changed for the better?  
I do believe I have been  
Changed for the better_


	8. I'm Not that Girl

**Song-** 'I'm Not That Girl'- Wicked (Idina Menzel)  
**Pairing-** Bec/Garry  
**Season-** 3  
**Author-** aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

"Bec!" Garry Miller padded through the house with sand covered feet. "Hey, Bec, where are you?"

Bec Sanderson looked up from the computer- clearly, the kids were finished with their training.

"Garry's girlfriend's coming over for dinner!" Cassie Cometti squealed with delight. "Hey, Bec, we actually get to meet her!"

"Fun!" she chuckled. "Is that what you wanted to inform me of, Gaz?"

"Yeah. Cassie, you're no fun anymore".

"Really?" Cassie batted her eyelids innocently before taking off in the direction of the stairs. "Sorry, Loren!"

"I'm guessing Garry told Bec?" Bridget called from upstairs.

"I think so!"

Bec had to laugh. The kids were more involved in their personal lives than they were. And she wouldn't admit it (she had a hunch one of the girls had already worked it out), but she was jealous of Garry's girlfriend. Her name was Ashleigh, and they had never met her- it seemed that night would be the moment of truth. She was jealous because of all the time she had already spent with Garry- so much compared to the short six months Bec had been living with him. It was hard seeing him walk down the stairs in the morning, knowing that his heart belonged to another girl.

_Hands touch, eyes meet  
Sudden silence, sudden heat  
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl  
He could be that boy  
But I'm not that girl_

She had learned not to let go of her dreams- she had learned that when she was sixteen, as a student in the academy she now ran. She had fallen in love, and she had lost the wildcard. It had got to the point where she cried to herself, locked in her bedroom, for three months straight. Through the summer she was seventeen. It wasn't until she arrived at university in Queensland (after farewelling the next year's intakes of Solar Blue students) that she moved on with her life.

And yet she was back at Solar Blue.

_Don't dream too far  
Don't lose sight of who you are  
Don't remember that rush of joy  
He could be that boy  
I'm not that girl_

* * *

"Can someone get the door?" Adam Bridge called.

"I'll get it!" Charley Prince yelled eagerly.

"Wait for me!" Guy Spender hollered, thundering down the stairs.

"Wait!" Loren Power protested.

"I'll get it", Garry said graciously, pushing through the four teenagers battling for the front door and opening it himself. "Hey Ash, how are ya?"

"I heard the kids before I saw them!" she laughed. "Hi guys, how are you?"

"Hi!"

"Hi!"

"Hello!"

"Hey!"

"Hi!"

"Nice to meet you!"

After the general introductions went around, and Ashleigh could distinguish who was who, Garry introduced her to Bec.

"Hi, I'm Ashleigh, I've heard so much about you", Ashleigh gushed, pumping Bec's hand up and down.

"Same here", Bec chuckled softly.

_Every so often we long to steal  
To the land of what-might-have-been  
But that doesn't soften the ache we feel  
When reality sets back in_

Maybe she had been hoping Ashleigh was a figment of her imagination. Maybe she had been hoping Ashleigh wasn't real.

Even if she had been hoping that, the crushing pain in her chest proved that she was real.

"Come on, let's go and eat", Garry suggested.

"Yeah", Bec echoed.

Blonde hair bouncing, Ashleigh allowed Garry to pull out her chair, giggling like she was no older than the six teenagers Bec and Garry were in charge of.

_Blithe smile, lithe limb  
She who's winsome, she wins him  
Gold hair with a gentle curl  
That's the girl he chose  
And Heaven knows  
I'm not that girl_

* * *

"What do you think, Bec?" Garry said, once Ashleigh had gone home and the kids were upstairs. "Do you like her?"

"She's nice", Bec admitted. As much as it hurt to admit it.

"You've been quiet- is everything alright?"

In the six months they had been living together, they had grown close. They had to be, to run the household smoothly. But they were closer than most- and he could read her like a book. He always knew when something was wrong.

"I'm fine", she said, holding back tears. "I'm tired; I think I'll turn in".

"Sleep well".

"You too", she barely whispered, before fleeing in the direction of the stairs.

How she wished that she was Garry's girl. But she wasn't.

_Don't wish, don't start  
Wishing only wounds the heart  
I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl  
There's a girl I know  
He loves her so  
I'm not that girl_

* * *

**Songs from 'Wicked' prove to be good to use for songfics!**


	9. Ready Set Don't Go

**Song:** 'Ready, Set, Don't Go' by Billy Ray Cyrus ft. Miley Cyrus  
**Season:** 2  
**Pairing:** Fly/Simmo  
**Author:** aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

"The last one to leave, hey little Fly?" Craig 'Simmo' Symmonds laughed gently, as Fly Watson hauled her suitcase behind her, padding down the stairs of the Solar Blue Surf Academy for the last time. "you sure you don't want to stay for one more year?"

"Simmo, I'll be eighteen next year", she reminded him. "It's like you don't want me to go!"

"He doesn't". Deb Callum draped an arm around Fly's shoulder. "We'll miss you, Fly".

_She's gotta do what she's gotta do  
And I've gotta like it or not  
She's got dreams too big for this town  
And she needs to give 'em a shot  
Whatever they are_

"Yeah, I'm under the impression your dreams are too big for Blue Water. I was under that impression when Deb was driving you from competition to competition all over New South Wales". Simmo rolled his eyes. "Leaving me at home by myself with six teenagers!"

"Like you haven't done that before!" Deb smacked his chest.

"My dreams are a little too big for this town", Fly admitted. "But Blue Water is almost like my home".

"Margaret River's your home, hey?"

"Which is where I'll be until mid-January, and then I'm off to Queensland". Fly nodded, slightly sad. "I am sorta sad that I won't be coming back to Solar Blue, though. I mean, I have my own bedroom!"

"And you know the drill". Simmo smiled. "I didn't have to train you this year!"

"You screaming 'up and at 'em my little jelly babies' down the hallway at five thirty on my very first day was only slightly memorable", she said dryly. "But I still don't really want to leave".

_Looks like I'm all ready to leave  
And nothing left to pack_

Simmo lifted Fly's suitcase into the boot of Deb's little car. "Come on, we promised we'd drive you to the airport".

"Otherwise I'll be left hitchhiking and that would suck". Fly laughed gently, as Simmo opened the back door. "Thanks!"

_Ain't no room for me in that car  
Even if she asked me to tag along _

Simmo had formed father-like relationships with all the kids he had mentored over his years working at Solar Blue. But yet, Fly's year was the most memorable. Anna, Bec, Edge, Fly, Heath, Matt and Perri. Fly was the baby of the group, and although she was a wildcard winner, she and her parents had organised for her to spend one more year at the academy, due to the fact that she was almost a full year younger than her other housemates. He had quickly agreed- as much as he teased the kids, he really did care for them- and Fly had moved in once more. This time, with Amy, Brooke, Corey, Eric, Mike, and Rachel. And there was no hiding it that Simmo had a bond with Fly that he didn't have with the other kids.

_I'm at the startin' line of the rest of my life  
As ready as I've ever been  
Got the hunger and the stars in my eyes  
The prize is mine to win _

"No matter what, Fly", Simmo told her, climbing into the driver's seat- completely ignoring Deb's protests- and starting the engine. "Deb and I- and the other kids- will be so proud of you".

"I hope I see Edge", Fly said honestly. At the academy, Edge had almost been her big brother- all the kids were especially protective of Fly, the youngest and the smallest. "That would be so awesome".

Deb grinned. "Give him our love, Fly".

_She's waitin' on my blessings 'fore she hits that open road  
Baby get ready, get set, don't go._

"I will, Deb". Fly smiled sadly, looking out the windows.

"We'll be there to cheer you on, too", Simmo added. "when we can, I mean. There is not a chance we're flying out to California every second week".

_Looks like things are fallen into place_

Fly laughed. "Aw, you aren't? I was hoping you were!"

"I only wish, Fly".

_Feels like they're fallen apart  
I painted this big ol' smile on my face  
To hide my broken heart  
If only she knew _

There was an awkward silence, as Fly racked her brain to think of what to say. Everything that they wanted to say couldn't be said, because she knew she would end up crying. She hated goodbyes more than anything, and had sobbed the day before, farewelling her housemates. And the year before? She had been inconsolable, as she boarded the bus back to Margaret River.

_This is where you don't say what you want so bad to say_

Simmo sighed, glancing at Fly in the review mirror. Out of all the kids, he had treated her the most like his own. He was never married, and never had any children. It was something he regretted, as he got older. He did love the kids, and would adore a daughter of his own. Fly was the daughter he had never had- and as much as he wanted too, there was no way he was getting in he way of her dreams.

_This is where I want to but I won't get in the way  
Of her and her dreams  
And spreadin' her wings _

Fly was ready to break away from Solar Blue, spread her wings and fly.

_I'm ready to fly_

As much as neither of them wanted to say goodbye, they knew it was the inevitable way of life.

_I'm at the startin' line of the rest of my life  
As ready as I've ever been  
Got the hunger and the stars in my eyes  
The prize is mine to win _

At the airport, Simmo wrapped his arms around the young girl's small shoulders. "Whenever you're in Sydney, come to Solar Blue and visit, alright? It won't be the same without you there!"

"I'll miss you, Simmo". Fly held onto her coach, the man she had thought of as a father for the past twenty four months. She adored her real father, but he was at home at the farm. Simmo had always been there.

"Live your dreams, kiddo, and don't let anything stop you".

With those words of wisdom, Fly left Simmo and Deb standing there, advancing through security with nothing more than a wave.

_She's waitin' on my blessings 'fore she hits that open road  
Baby get ready, get set, don't go._


	10. What to Wear

**Song:** 'What to Wear' by Taylor Swift  
**Season:** 1  
**Pairing:** Perri/Matt  
**Author:** aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

Sixteen year old Perri Lawe stared nervously in the mirror, fiddling with her necklace. She had been on dates before- much to her father's displeasure- but none had meant as much as this one did. Matt Leyland, her knight on a surfboard. They had been living together for most of the year- granted, the other five were there too- but they had a connection that no one could explain. And he had plucked up the courage to ask her out.

"You look hot!" Bec Sanderson encouraged. "You're going to knock his socks off!"

"You think so?" Perri said softly.

"I know so", Fly Watson grinned.

"Where exactly are the boys?" Anna Peterson interrupted. "I'm sorry, but the house feels really empty!"

"They're meeting us at school", Fly assured her.

"How are you, girls?" Deb Callum called up the stairs. "Can I have a look?"

_She's looking in the mirror  
The moments getting nearer  
She thinks about it as she walks her walk  
Up and down the staircase  
Makeup fresh on her face  
She thinks about it as she talks her talk  
School dance, first chance, always been a dreamer  
There's one guy, she's shy, sees him through the mirror  
And everybody looks at her,  
She thinks about it_

Perri, swaying slightly in her skirt, padded barefoot down the stairs. "What do you think, Deb?"

"Very nice!" Deb complimented. "Oh, I need photos. Simmo! Come and have a look at the girls!"

"Nice", Craig 'Simmo' Symonds complimented. "The boys are gonna think so, too".

'Did I not just tell you that?" Bec turned to Perri, hands on her hips.

"Alright, you told me that". Perri smiled.

"There's still the finishing touches, don't go taking photos yet", Bec warned. "Come on, none of us have on shoes or anything!"

They high tailed it back up the stairs, to finish putting on their makeup and their shoes, ready to meet the boys at the dance.

_Blue dress angel face, looking in the mirror,  
Shoes, purse, hair tied back and you should see her,  
She's got her magic, floating through the air,  
Peace, love, one thing leads into another  
Dream big, aim small  
Man you gotta love her  
She's got her hopes up  
Got 'em up to there  
Wonderin' what to wear_

* * *

Eighteen year old Perri stood in front of the mirror, smoothing out the wrinkles in her shirt. She had been avoiding the dating scene since moving to Queensland- she had decided to wait until her music career took off. But, she had found a boy in Robert, and had decided to give him a chance.

_She's standing in her bedroom  
He'll be pullin' up soon  
She thinks about it as she sees headlights  
Looking out the window she's got her diary to show  
That she's been waiting for this all her life  
First date, can't wait  
Lookin' in the mirror  
Heart all wrapped up  
Wait until he sees her  
He's lookin' right at her  
She thinks about it_

Life had changed a lot since she left Solar Blue- and Blue Water in general- but it didn't stop her dreaming. She had been a dreamer since she was a little girl, and one day she was going to fulfil all of them. One of her dreams was to fall in love and while she didn't know if Robert was the man for her, it didn't hurt to give him a chance.

Smiling at the headlights she saw in the mirror, she gave one final tug on her low ponytail, slipping on her high heels. Unsure of what the future held, she opened her door to greet her date.

_Sixteen blue jeans Abercrombie t-shirt  
Shoes purse hair tied back and you should see her  
She's got her magic floating through the air  
Peace, love, one thing leads into another  
Dream big, Aim small  
Man you gotta love her  
She's got her hopes up  
Got 'em up to there  
Wonderin' what to wear_

Things didn't work out with Robert. But she didn't care- she still had her dreams, and was determined in living them. It didn't matter how many dates failed, as her music career flew through the roof- she could lean on her Solar Blue friends for support whenever she needed it. And, at times, she did need it.

_The years went by  
The mirror saw her cry  
She got up again  
She got up again  
The wind blew by the small town lights  
She got up again_

She did come back to Solar Blue, and reconnected with Matt. It was what she had been hoping for, even if she wouldn't admit it. And their relationship did work out the second time- with a bit of meddling from Fly. as much as Perri denied it, she had been hiding her feelings for Matt the whole time.

_Move out  
Find out where the world can take her  
Bright lights late nights livin' for the greater  
Move to Paris livin' on a prayer_

Matt didn't care what she wore- but Perri did. Every date they went on was like their first. It didn't matter where in the world she was, she would fuss over her outfits. Because she was a dreamer.

_Peace, love, one thing leads into another  
Dream big, aim small  
Man you gotta love her  
She's got her hopes up  
Got 'em up to there  
She's got her hopes up  
Got 'em up to there  
Wonderin' what to wear  
Wonderin' what to wear_


	11. Can't Fight This Feeling

**Song: **'Can't Fight This Feeling'- Glee cast (Cory Monteith)  
**Season:** 3  
**Pairing:** Garry/Bec  
**Author: **aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

"Are the kids in bed already?" Garry wanted to know, stepping out of the office and into quietness. The house was only quiet when the kids weren't home or when they were in bed. And occasionally, he missed the ruckus.

"They've gone out to the movies, remember?" Bec said with a smile, pouring milk into a saucepan. "I was thinking a night of DVDs for us; they won't be home until late. What's your idea, Gaz?"

"Sounds like a plan". Garry smiled at the cheery brunette, laughing as she bounded towards the DVD cabinet. "But Bec, please, no chick flicks".

"Do you think I'm that predictable?"

"Uh, no, but I vividly remember coming home from the comp I took the boys to. Our lounge room floor was covered in chick flicks, and you four were sprawled across the lounges, dead asleep".

"It was a girly night", she protested. "You can choose the movie".

"Thank you". Garry smiled, and Bec swung open the cupboard. "And you can choose what we eat for dinner".

although they were both avid athletics, and they were up at the crack of dawn, training with the kids on the beach, year round, both still loved pizza. It was a treat in the Solar Blue house, a treat that they all loved.

"Supreme?" Bec said hopefully.

"Absolutely". Garry smiled at his housemate's enthusiasm. She had been his best friend since he first arrived in Solar Blue- while she had promised the kids that she would let them make their own decision, she had been jumping for joy when they had chosen Garry over Dave. He had assured the kids, when asked, that their relationship was simply friendship, he had felt himself being oddly attracted to Bec.

She was beautiful- he'd have to be blind not to see that. She was a person who could smile and try to brighten someone else's day, even when she couldn't brighten her own, greeting him with a smile even when it was the crack of dawn. she was very sweet natured, but had a fiery side that they had only seen once, when she bristled at Angus- mother hen, Garry had called her. When she was a student, she had hated the name with a passion, but as a trainer, she embraced it.

_I can't fight this feeling any longer  
And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow  
What started out as friendship has grown stronger  
I only wish I had the strength to let it show_

"Okay", Garry said cheerfully, once he had handed over the money for a large supreme pizza to the delivery boy. "One large supreme pizza ready to go!"

Bec padded down the stairs, dressed for a night in. Multi coloured pyjamas pants that bagged at the ankles and a black singlet. Saturday nights in the Solar Blue house were different every week- sometimes they'd go out as a group, bowling or to see a movie, and others they'd lounge around in the comfort of their living room, battling out on various Wii challenges. Some weekends the two adults would go out, leaving the kids in charge of the house (something that made Bec a little nervous) or it would work the other way round.

"You're dressed for a night of lounge lizzarding", Garry chuckled, as he retrieved plates from the cabinet.

"I'm in the mood to relax", she sighed, and flopping onto the lounge, accepting the piece of pizza he passed her. "And you're a fine one to speak!"

"Touché", he laughed, as Bec eyed his baggy trackpants and the worn singlet.

_And even as I wander I'm keeping you in sight  
You're a candle in the window on a cold dark winters night  
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might  
_

"So, what movie are we watching?" she asked curiously, after picking off the capsicum and setting it in a small pile on the side of her plate.

"I was thinking one of the classics..." he held up the DVD cover and Bec smiled.

"_The Castle_... typical Aussie male".

"You know it". He winked and the two settled back to watch the movie.

_And I can't fight this feeling anymore  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for  
It's time to bring this ship into the shore  
And throw away the oars  
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore  
_

He had thought he had lived the life, before arriving on the doorstep of the Solar Blue boarding house. Surfing on the pro circuit for years, he had ended his career with an accident, but it hadn't stopped him surfing for fun. Coaching, he thought, was the perfect way to earn money, and had found himself drawn to the Solar Blue job.

And it had been everything he dreamed of. The kids were amazing- granted, they had their moments, they were teenagers after all- and living on a beach as gorgeous as Blue Water had its perks. He could step out the front door and find himself on the sand. But the best part about Solar Blue Academy was definitely his co-worker. Bec was his best friend, despite knowing her not even six months.

_My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you  
I've been running round in circles in my mind  
And it always seems that I'm following you, girl  
'Cause you take me to the places that alone I'd never find  
_

The night passed by slowly, as the first movie finished and he allowed her to put on a so called chick flick. The plates were cleared into the kitchen, and Bec rested her head on his shoulder as the movie played. That small action alone brought a huge, almost dopey, smile to his face.

"What are you grinning at?" Bec wanted to know.

"Nothing".

And he still couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

And even as I wander I'm keeping you in sight  
You're a candle in the window on a cold dark winters night  
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might

Before long, Bec's breathing grew heavier and her eyelids drooped, finally closing for the night. Garry tried to move, but Bec was pressed against him, her head eventually falling into his lap. More often than not, when they had a movie night with the kids (it didn't matter what the circumstances were, Bec and Garry got the lounge. The kids preferred it, actually, meaning they could sprawl across the lounge), Bec's head would end up on his shoulder.

_And I can't fight this feeling anymore  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for  
It's time to bring this ship into the shore  
And throw away the oars forever_

The house was silent, apart from the television, Garry embracing the quiet. But it didn't stay quiet for long. At ten thirty- a good hour before curfew- he heard a key in the lock, and the chatter of the six teenagers they called theirs.

"Shut up, they might be asleep!"

Charley had always had authority over them- Charley and Bridget were the oldest and therefore found themselves responsible for the group.

The hallway light flickered on and Garry found himself facing the group. "Hi, guys", he said gently.

"How was your night?" Loren wanted to know.

"It was good". Garry nodded, indicating his sleeping friend. "We watched a couple of movies, chatted… Bec's clearly not up for all nighters. What about you guys? How was your night?"

"Well, it was the girls' choice, so…" Adam let his voice trail off. "It could have been worse".

"Hop into bed", he laughed, shifting the sleeping brunette. "We've got training in the morning, we'll work harder because its cold".

"Oh, nice excuse. Just go and kill us and be done with it?" Cassie joked. "Night, Gaz".

"Good night, Cass. Sleep well, kiddies". He lifted Bec into his arms, carrying her up the stairs and tucking her into her double bed. He knew that he probably couldn't have her, but he couldn't stop wanting her…

One day

_'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for  
Even if I have to crawl upon the floor  
Come crashing through your door  
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore_


	12. Alone

**Song: **'Alone'- Glee cast (Matthew Morrison and Kristin Chenoweth)  
**Season:** 3  
**Pairing:** Bec/Garry  
**Author: **aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

**This is a sequel to the previous songfic, 'Can't Fight This Feeling'. There will be a third part. **

* * *

Bec Sanderson yawned, rubbing her eyes and sleeping blinked at the clock. The last thing she remembered was resting her head on Garry's shoulder, her eyes on the television screen. That was the last thing she could remember, she thought as she yawned hugely.

She couldn't help her feelings. She had Garry Miller had been the best of friends since the beginning of the year, shoved into a house together with six teenagers. She couldn't help the feelings she felt for him. at first, she hadn't seen him like that, but once she did... she couldn't fight that feeling.

_I hear the ticking of the clock  
I'm lying here the room's pitch dark  
I wonder where you are tonight  
No answer on the telephone  
And the night goes by so very slow  
Oh I hope that it won't end though  
Alone...  
_

She had always gone through life on her own- when she was sixteen, she was a student at Solar Blue, and had fallen for Dean Edgely. The same Dean Edgely that had broken her heart when he went onto the pro circuit, despite the fact that he promised her that Sydney would be his home base. Broken hearted, she had headed to Queensland for university, returning to Blue Water only for Christmas.

She had always found life alone the easiest.

But once she returned, she thought life with someone important would be the best way to go. She honestly hadn't cared until she met Garry.

_Till now I always got by on my own  
I never really cared until I met you  
And now it chills me to the bone  
How do I get you alone  
How do I get you alone  
_

* * *

Garry blinked in the darkness, knowing that he could have to crawl out of bed sooner or later and face the day. The raging surf, the bitterly cold wind, the kids that would no doubt freeze... and Bec.

He could see her every time he closed her eyes, and by the time he opened them, she was standing there, in front of him. Her forehead would crinkle, her hazel eyes studying him worryingly. But then she'd break into the award-winning smile that he loved.

But there was no way that she'd know how much he wanted her.

And how long he had wanted her.

_You don't know how long I have wanted  
To touch your lips and hold you tight  
You don't know how long I have waited  
And I was going to tell you tonight  
But the secret is still my own  
And my love for you is still unknown  
Alone...  
_

He had always managed life with a girlfriend... Ashleigh had been with him for four years, nursing him back to health when he had snapped his leg- the accident that had ended his surfing career. But they had grown apart, and Bec had been the one taking him out to the club, buying him a drink and letting him tell her all when the relationship finally ended it.

That night was a turning point in his life. He didn't know about her, but he knew how he felt.

_Till now I always got by on my own  
I never really cared until I met you  
And now it chills me to the bone  
How do I get you alone  
How do I get you alone_

He was going to tell her... even if he regretted it.

* * *

_I hear the ticking of the clock  
I'm lying here the room's pitch dark_

Bec yawned, before settling back under the blankets. She was going to tell him how she felt. She might regret it, but it was best to get it out in the open.

Before she blew it.


	13. Taking Chances

**Song:** 'Taking Chances'- Glee cast (Lea Michele)  
**Season:** 3  
**Pairing:** Garry/Bec  
**Author:** aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)  
**This is the third part to the previous two songfics- 'Can't Fight This Feeling' and 'Alone, and references to 'I'm Not That Girl'.**

* * *

_Don't know much about your life.  
Don't know much about your world, but  
Don't want to be alone tonight,  
On this planet they call earth._

When Bec was a student at Solar Blue, she had given her heart to a guy she thought was her future. But she had had her heart smashed into a million pieces, leaving her to wonder whether or not she could trust a guy again. Dean Edgely had stuffed her up, and it was something that had taken almost four years to admit.

She had been pondering that since she woke up in the middle of the night, not being able to roll over and fall back asleep.

If Garry felt the same way, there was no telling how it would affect the kids in the house. They were the parental figures, having some form of authority over the six teenagers they cared for. Every year, without fail, the kids would pair up, finding love in the opposite gender. Bec had seen it as a student- there was no way you could stick six hormonal teenagers in a house together without expecting tongues to tango.

But all hell would break loose if they found out what had been happening between the two of them had happened between their trainers.

With a sigh, she tossed her legs out of the bed, ready to face the brand new day.

_You don't know about my past, and  
I don't have a future figured out.  
And maybe this is going too fast.  
And maybe it's not meant to last,_

Bec didn't know much about Garry's past- apart from the fact that he had snapped his leg in a surfing accident, ending his pro circuit career. He had told everyone that, when he first moved into the Solar Blue house.

He had made a decision. That Saturday was going to be the day he admitted his feelings for his beautiful housemate, no matter how weird it was going to leave their relationship. in the perfect world, she would admit that she had the same feelings for him.

He was going to tell her, no matter how badly broken it left him.

"You alright, Garry?" Loren wanted to know, sliding into the seat beside him.

"Yeah, I'm fine". Garry flashed her a smile. "I just didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night. What about you, Loren? How are you this morning".

"I'm good". Loren grinned sweetly, staring into her mug of coffee.

"Hi Bec!" Bridget said cheerfully, as their other trainer made her appearance.

Bec managed a small smile. "Morning, Bridget. Hi guys".

"You look like death". Guy never was one to sugar coat things.

"Thanks, Guy, appreciate that". Bec forced a smile. "You're a charming person".

"I try".

"Are we doing anything today?" Charley checked. "Because we were thinking about going out for a picnic, if that's alright with you guys".

"It's alright", Garry said quickly.

"Fine". Bec nodded, accepting the mug of coffee that Cassie passed her.

"On the island?" Adam said hopefully.

With nods of confirmation from their trainers, they packed up the esky, stashing enough towels for the day in Guy's backpack, rugging up in their Solar Blue jackets and grabbing the soccer ball before heading out to the water. it was the last their trainers were going to see of them for the day- barbecues on the island were some of Bec's best memories, as a Solar Blue student.

"Well", Garry drawled, setting his coffee mug in the sink. "They're gone".

"Picnics on the island are great", Bec mumbled. She had driven the kids over to the island, with Garry in tow, on one of their first weekends at Blue Water. The looks on the kids' faces were amazing- and it had shocked Bec, that a short four years ago, she was in their position. Four years ago, she was a student, head over heels in love.

Everything happened at Solar Blue, she mused.

"Bec, can we go for a walk?" Garry said.

"I need to talk to you", she blurted out.

"We can walk and talk", Garry decided.

So they locked up the house, the keys sitting in Garry's pocket, as they headed down the empty beach.

"Bec-" Garry started.

Just as she said, "Garry-"

"You start", he said.

"No, you". She blushed furiously- completely unlike herself.

"Remember when we went out for drinks, after Ash and I broke up?" Garry said suddenly, breaking the awkward silence.

Bec nodded, unsure where her housemate was going.

"I told you almost everything that she told me, all the reasons that we had to break up. all except for one- and this one is probably the most important".

Her heart almost stopped in her chest.

"She told me we had to break up because she saw the way I looked at you. She could see it all, when she came over for dinner".

"Wow", Bec whispered.

"She said that night was a bit of a revelation. We had been growing apart, when I when I took on the Solar Blue job, and we barely got to see each other. She said there was no way the two of us were going to work out, because she knew how I felt about you. Ash said that life was too short to hang onto something you've already lost. She said it's all about taking chances".

"She's smart, that one", Bec whispered, her voice barely audible.

_But what do you say to taking chances,  
What do you say to jumping off the edge?  
Never knowing if there's solid ground below  
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,  
What do you say,  
What do you say?_

"You know, I was pretty weary about coming back here", she told him. "I had my heart broken, right here. And I was under the misconception that was going to happen again. I was heartbroken, when I met Ashleigh. I was hoping- stupidly- that she was some figment of my imagination, that I never had a chance. The kids distracted me from everything, but there's only so much you can hide. you have no idea how hard it is, when the girls are peppering you with questions..."

"Bec, I've liked you since the moment we met, you know that?" Garry said gently, as the two of them sat down on the soft white sand. "I mean, it's just us, and the kids. I've watched the kids pair up- Cassie and Adam, Charley and Loren, and although all hell would break loose if anyone ever said they were a couple, Bridget and Guy- and have wondered how they would react if we were like that".

Bec nodded, trying not to make eye contact with him. in the time they had known each other, Garry had learned to read her like a book.

_I just want to start again,  
And maybe you could show me how to try,  
And maybe you could take me in,  
Somewhere underneath your skin?_

"What do you say?" he wanted to know. "Do we take chances and defy odds?"

"Or do we live in denial for the rest of the year?" Bec finished.

His lips met hers in a soft kiss, and Bec felt herself melt.

_What do you say to taking chances,  
What do you say to jumping off the edge?  
Never knowing if there's solid ground below  
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,  
What do you say,  
What do you say?_

"What do you say?" Garry repeated.

Bec was unable to wipe the smile off her face.

* * *

_What do you say to taking chances,  
What do you say to jumping off the edge?  
Never knowing if there's solid ground below  
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,  
What do you say,  
What do you say?_

"What's going on?" Bridget wanted to know, opening the front door and finding their two trainers in the lounge room. "Hey-"

"Guys", Garry started.

He didn't even have to finish his sentence.

"About bloody time!" Charley exploded, as Loren bounded over to hug Bec.

"Did they-" Bec said in amazement, staring at Garry, gently hugging Loren back.

"Yep". Garry nodded in confirmation.

"How-"

"I don't know". Garry shrugged, laughing at the cheers they were getting from the boys.

* * *

**Any requests for pairings/songs?**


	14. I Do

**Song:** 'I Do'- Colbie Callait  
**Season:** 3  
**Pairing:** Garry/Bec  
**Author:** aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)  
**The fourth and final part to the previous three song fics ('Alone', 'Can't Fight This Feeling' and 'Taking Chances'). Read and review.**

"And then he heard 'Russell! get out of the bushes'!" Guy grinned, as his housemates groaned in disgust.

"Mate, that's possibly the worst joke you've ever told!"

"That was bad".

"That was worse than bad!"

"Pathetic".

"Horrific".

"Terrible", Garry concluded, with a pat to the boy's shoulder.

Guy's shoulders slumped. "I'd like to see you come up with something better than that!"

"I will", Garry accepted the challenge cheerfully. "I've been saving this one for a special occasion... what's yellow, lives in a tree, and is very, very, very dangerous?"

All six of them looked confused.

"A canary with a machine gun!"

He looked gleeful, as the others groaned even louder than they had with Guy.

Bec had to smile, at the scene in front of her. Four years earlier, she had all but given up on the chance of ever having a relationship- at sixteen; she had a broken heart and had accepted her fate as single.

_It's always been about me myself and I  
If all relationships were nothing but a waste of time  
I never wanted to be anybody's other half  
I was happy to say that our love wouldn't last  
That was the only way I knew to that you_

"Wanna share what that smile's about?" Garry wanted to know, as the brunette gazed into the distance.

"Certainly not about your joke", Loren shot.

"Loren!" Bec laughed, as the blonde blushed shyly.

At the beginning of the year, when people asked what her future held for her, she told them it was a blank page. At that time, she was living in Queensland, with no hope of ever returning to Solar Blue. But there she was, once again amidst the teenage drama and tantrums (significantly less than there were in her year). Starting the year single and loving life... but finding love in the most unlikely of places.

Garry Miller was her prince on a surfboard.

_You make we wanna say  
I do, I do, I do, do do do do do do doo  
Yeah, I do, I do, I do, do do do do do do doo  
Cause every time before we spend like  
Maybe yes and maybe no  
I can live without it, I can let it go  
Ooh, I did, I get myself into  
You make we wanna say I do, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do,_

Together, they faced their days, battling with six teenagers, running a surf school. All the responsibilities of adults, the freedom of teenagers. Complete opposites, and yet they meshed together so well.

Perhaps that was why the kids saw them as a couple, long before they even mentioned getting together- it had been one of the more awkward, kid-initiated house meetings of the year. Adam and Guy had stuttered out explanations, while Bec blushed and wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

It didn't, of course. That would just be too weird for her to comprehend.

Maybe it was that day that she started to see Garry in a different light.

But she didn't know that was the day he started to see her differently.

_Tell me is it only me  
Do you feel the same?  
You know me well enough to know that I'm not playing games  
I promise I won't turn around and I won't let you down  
You can trust and never feel it now  
Baby there's nothing, there's nothing we can't get through_

She knew they had hurdles to face- the finals, saying goodbye to 'their' kids- it didn't matter how many years of intakes they looked after, Bridget, Cassie, Loren, Adam, Guy and Charley would always be special. they had formed a family, a special bond that was unbreakable. At the end of the year, tears would be shed by all- even Garry, cracking through his hard outer shell.

Bec and Garry had to face the summer between farewelling their kids and welcoming the new intakes- a time period that was awkward for everyone.

But they would do it, together.

_So can we say_  
_I do, I do, I do, do do do do do do doo_  
_Oh baby, I do, I do, I do, do do do do do do doo_  
_Cause every time before we spend like_  
_Maybe yes and maybe no_  
_I won't live without it, I won't let it go_  
_Wooh Can I get myself into_  
_You make we wanna say_

She had never been the girl to say 'by this age I want to be married with three kids'. That just wasn't who she was. She didn't even know if she wanted to get married at all. Kids had always been a possibility- they frustrated her sometimes, but she did love them.

Somehow, her views had all changed when she met Garry. They had a family- slightly unconventional, but a family nonetheless. Three girls, three boys. a big house, complete with a lounge where she could curl up beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. She had been doing that since the day he moved into the Solar Blue boarding house.

_Me a family, a house a family_  
_Ooh, can we be a family?_  
_And when I'm old and sit next to you._

It didn't matter how many years of intakes they would look after, the ones in front of them at that moment in time would be the ones they would always remember. The ones who had seen their relationship blossom from friendship to something more, the ones who had teased them silly and loved them all the same.

The ones who were there when they said 'I do'.

they been the ones to visit even after they graduated from the academy, clearing a weekend when all six of them were in Sydney to visit the boarding house and meet the new intakes (Bec had never been so happy to see them). they had mentored the new intakes (Zoe, Aden, Ellie, Alicia, Scott and Liam), proving to them that not all is over if you don't win the wildcard.

The ones who had brought flowers and presents when Bec and Garry welcomed little seven pound, three ounce Savannah Hope into the world.

The ones who counted on them, phoning in the silence of the night.

Because they were a family- unconventional, none the least- but a family all the same.

_And when we remember when we said  
I do, I do, I do, do do do do do do doo  
Oh baby, I do, I do, I do, do do do do do do doo  
Cause every time before we spend like  
Maybe yes and maybe no  
I won't live without it, I won't let it go  
Just look at what we got ourselves into  
You make we wanna say I do, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do,  
Love you_


	15. I'll Be There For You

**Song: **'I'll Be There For You'- The Remembrants (the 'Friends' theme song)  
**Season:** 1/2/3  
**Pairing:** season 1/season 2/season 3  
**Author: **aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

**Read and review!**

* * *

"Go Anna!"

"Anna!"

"You won it, fair and square".

No one had told them how their lives were going to turn out. When they were invited to Sydney to compete for their spots, they were told to pack as if they had already won the Solar Blue Academy places. But the seven of them hadn't- they still had to compete, with all the chances that they wouldn't make it into the boarding house.

But they had. The seven of them, as opposed to the six teenagers that had filled the bedrooms every other year. Local flower Bec Sanderson was rooming with the resident Gold Coast fairy princess Perri Lawe, while German-born Anna Peterson and farm girl Fly Watson took the room next door. The boys- carefree Heath Carroll, brainiac Matt Leyland and surfer rebel Dean 'Edge' Edgely took the room at the end of the hall, forming a family already.

They had no idea how the year was going to end, had no idea which two were going to win the wildcard spots on the surfing pro circuit.

_So no one told you life was gonna be this way  
Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D O A  
It's like you're always stuck in second gear  
When it hasn't been your day, your week  
Your month or even your year but_

They were there for each other, through the year. Bec was there to pick up Fly when she fell, and Anna was Heath's personal alarm clock, bursting into the boys' room, armed with a pillow, when Heath slept in. edge and Matt, despite the way they fought, helped each other out with assignments, while Perri and Fly studied down the hall. When worst came to worst, Perri phoned for takeaway (they had had enough of Bec and Edge's meals for a lifetime- declaring the snappable sausages a disaster and the spaghetti bolognese without the spaghetti even worse), and when everything seemed impossible, there was always someone there to go with them to the middle of the ocean, the calmest part of Blue Water Beach.

As different as they were, they were the same in the same instance.

_I'll be there for you  
(When the rain starts to pour)  
I'll be there for you  
(Like I've been there before)  
I'll be there for you  
('Cause you're there for me too)  
_

Fly Watson, the baby of the Solar Blue class of 2005, was the 'big sister' of the Solar Blue class of 2006. Despite winning the wildcard onto the pro circuit at the end of 2005, she opted to stay in Blue Water for another year, being almost a full year younger than her housemates. At the end of the year, she would join Edge on the circuit, but right then, she was happy being the big sister.

And how different things were that year. She knew it was going to be different, but sharing a room with Brooke Solomon instead of Anna, with Rachel Samuels and Amy Reed in the next bedroom (and Mike Kruze, Eric Tanner and Corey Petrie in the big room at the end of the hall), made it seem so real. She was with a different group of kids, but, despite the differences, she loved it.

_You're still in bed at ten and work began at eight  
You've burned your breakfast so far things are going great  
Your mother warned you there'd be days like these  
But she didn't tell you when the world  
Has brought you down to your knees that_

Through the year, Fly became as close with the new group of intakes as she had with the original Solar Blue seven. There were striking similarities, between the young surfers and the young adults that had sat in their place twelve months earlier. It was something she had pointed out to Simmo and Deb on many occasions, and the two trainers had nodded emphatically, chuckling a little at Fly's discovery.

Eric was Heath- a troublemaker, a joker. Mike was fiery like Edge, and Corey was cool, the same as Matt had been. Amy was sweet (taking on Fly's old role in the group), while Brooke and Amy fought (so much like Bec and Perri). But, like her original group, they merged together so well.

_I'll be there for you  
(When the rain starts to pour)  
I'll be there for you  
(Like I've been there before)  
I'll be there for you  
('Cause you're there for me too)_

The fact that they had known each other less than twelve months- not even a year- was nothing to any of the Solar Blue kids. They had seen each other at their best and had seen each other at their worst, not caring, because they were like a family.

_No one could ever know me, no one could ever see me  
Since you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me  
Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with  
Someone I'll always laugh with  
Even at my worst, I'm best with you, yeah  
_

The retirement of Simmo had changed Solar Blue- but Bec Sanderson had changed it in a good way. A surfer in the Solar Blue class of 2005, she was willing to take over the job for the Solar Blue class of 2008.

And, much like Fly had, she noticed the differences and the similarities in the different ranking in the big Solar Blue boarding house. instead of being the one causing the mischief (on more than one occasion she had snuck out the second storey bedroom window, much to her roommate's displeasure, but not once was she caught), she was the one catching the mischief makers. Instead of sharing the red bedroom with Perri, it was shared by Loren Power and Bridget Sanchez (the same room that had once housed Brooke and Fly), with Cassie Cometti taking the pink bedroom once occupied by Fly and Anna, a year later with Rachel and Amy. The boys' bedroom was crowded with Adam Bridge, Charley Prince and Guy Spender, Garry Miller taking Simmo's old bedroom, as head coach.

She saw a lot of her original year in her group of intakes. Guy was the Heath, the joker, prince charming on a surfboard (who had dragged Bridget, the brains, the Anna, of the group, into his trap). Loren was Fly- the baby, the youngest, the one everyone protected like she needed it. Cassie was Bec all over- fierce, a 'look-before-you-leap' girl. Adam was much the same as Matt, cool as a cucumber- a volcano could erupt next door, Garry had said, and Adam wouldn't so much as bat an eyelid. And Charley? Well, he was Edge, hands down.

_It's like you're always stuck in second gear  
When it hasn't been your day, your week  
Your month, or even your year  
_

"This is just a fishbowl friendship", Edge said knowingly, nodding.

He hardly expected the reaction he got. Bec thumped his chest, Perri sending a pillow flying across the room to hit him.

"Hey!" he barked.

"This is so much more than a fishbowl friendship", Fly said, sounding wounded.

_I'll be there for you  
(When the rain starts to pour)  
I'll be there for you  
(Like I've been there before)  
I'll be there for you  
('Cause you're there for me too)_

"We're going to stay friend, even after we leave Solar Blue", Amy said with a yawn, resting her head on Eric's shoulder. Her housemates nodded emphatically, agreeing wholeheartedly with her.

_I'll be there for you  
(When the rain starts to pour)  
I'll be there for you  
(Like I've been there before)  
I'll be there for you  
('Cause you're there for me too)_

"We are going to enjoy Blue Water Beach one last time", Guy declared, grabbing Bridget's hand. Bridget, alarmed, snatched Cassie's hand, continuing down the line until finally, Loren gripped Garry's hand.

Holding hands, the eight launched themself off the edge of the ocean pool, the water soaking them to the bone.

They were always going to be there for each other.

* * *

**I hope everyone has a safe and happy Easter and ANZAC Day**

**xoxox**


	16. Tell The World I'm Coming Home

**Song: **'Tell The World I'm Coming Home'-  
**Season:** 1  
**Pairing:** Heath/Fly, Edge/Bec, Joe/Anna, Matt/Perri  
**Author: **aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

**This is set during 'Back to Blue Water'- before the other six arrive at the big boarding house Bec calls her permanent home.**

* * *

Solar Blue Academy, the most prestigious surfing school in the whole of Australia, was the home to six lucky teenagers for twelve months of their life, offering them the opportunity to join the pro circuit. For the Solar Blue class of 2005, there had been seven.

And, after eight long years with almost no contact, they were on their way back to Blue Water.

_I'm coming home  
I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming home  
Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday  
I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes  
I'm coming home, I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming_

Fly Watson was the youngest and smallest member of the group (earning the fond nickname 'Little Fly' from Matt), growing up on a farm in Margaret River, Western Australia. Three thousand, three hundred and fourteen kilometres away from Sydney- Matt and Anna had initiated a 'geography check' when homesickness had risen (the signpost they built having a permanent place in their lives). Sharing a room with Anna, she had lived her year at Solar Blue to the fullest, eventually going on and winning the wildcard onto the circuit.

Fly had been the baby of the group, but it did not mean that she missed out. Winning the surf-off at the regionals competition, spending her sixteen birthday at a beach with her best friends (along with strawberry milkshakes and hot chips- and despite warnings about cramps, they went swimming straight away)

The twelve months she had spent, living in the company of six of her best friends in the world, was a year she was never going to forget, and she knew, as soon as she stepped inside the big Solar Blue boarding house, all the memories would come rushing back.

_I'm coming home  
I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming home  
Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday  
I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes  
I'm coming home, I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming_

Perri Lawe, the Gold Coast fairy princess (a name she had been given upon arriving on Sydney shores). Six hundred and eighty four point eight kilometres away from her home. But it was alright, she found out. Because she had her substitute family. Sisters Fly, Anna and Bec, brothers Matt, Heath and Edge. The ones who were there for her when her parents were still at home on the Gold Coast.

They were the ones there for her when she ended up in hospital with diabetes complications. They were there for her when she saved the drowning non-swimmer from the beach, falling into a fit of almost depression.

She had been surfing her entire life- growing up on the Gold Coast, she spent almost every day on the soft sand. But there was nowhere as amazing as Blue Water Beach. Living with her best friends, surfing until she dropped, competing for the ultimate prize.

It didn't matter that she didn't win, she found out. She had gone into what she loved, and even though it had ended badly, it was alright.

She was going home.

_I'm coming home  
I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming home  
Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday  
I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes  
I'm coming home, I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming_

Dean 'Edge' Edgely was a Melbourne boy- seven hundred and thirteen k's from Sydney. Son of two surfing champions, he had grown up with the dream of entering the circuit. His Solar Blue acceptance had been a dream come true- as had the life he had entered.

Sure, he had been the butt of more than one of Matt and Heath's jokes- but he had got them back. Sure, he had been known as the unsocial rebel. But he was social. It really depended on his company.

And, although it took him a while to admit it, he loved the company he had in Sydney. Especially Bec. The smile that could light up his whole day.

Winning the wildcard had been one of the highlights of his life- surfing the world, living his dreams. But there was one place that he missed the most.

Blue Water Beach, Sydney.

_I'm coming home  
I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming home  
Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday  
I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes  
I'm coming home, I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming_

Matt was from down in King Island- nine hundred and thirty eight kilometres away. The cool as a cucumber, brains of the house. The one who could initiate a plan and yet the others would take the blame (Simmo and Deb had fallen for it, right until Fly had pulled out. He had then glared at Matt, telling him that only he could come up with something like that).

His life had turned lout so differently to the one he had as a sixteen year old. Moving down to Melbourne after the finals, only to end up staying there permanently.

It had been eight long, painful years since he last surfed at Blue Water Beach. He had not stepped foot on the soft white sand since Bec and Edge hauled them off the surf club floor before sunrise. It had been a long time coming, but he was on his way back to the big boarding house on the beach.

_I'm coming home  
I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming home  
Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday  
I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes  
I'm coming home, I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming_

Heath Carroll from Ballina was five hundred and ninety eight kilometres away from his hometown. 'Camera Boy', he had been called on more than one occasion. He had been the one recording the year's worth of events, going to the extreme of taping the camera to his head before standing on his surfboard. He had been the cheeky younger brother, teasing the girls and pranking the boys.

He had been the cheerful one, even after he didn't win the wildcard. He had been the cheerful one, even after the girl of his dreams left for the pro circuit. Drifting from town to town, taking photos, was how he lived his life.

But there had always been one part that he had left behind. Solar Blue Academy and the beach in their backyard.

_I'm coming home  
I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming home  
Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday  
I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes  
I'm coming home, I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming_

But Anna Peterson was the furthest away. Sixteen thousand, three hundred kilometres away from Hamburg, Germany. But it was okay, she supposed, because she had her almost family. Three sisters and three brothers, there for her when her German ones weren't.

The Solar Blue gang were there, watching her dominate the scoreboard and the waves, kiting out in ariels. They saw her fall for Joe (much to Bec's dismay- they were brother and sister, and no sister wanted to watch their brother date their best friend). Bec, Anna, Fly, Heath, Matt and Edge saw the young kite boarder at her highs and her lows, her best and her worst. But it was okay.

Because they were family.

And Blue Water was their home.

_I'm coming home  
I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming home  
Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday  
I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes  
I'm coming home, I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming_

Bec Sanderson, the Blue Water local ("Am I going to get a sign?" she had wanted to know, somewhat indignantly. "You're two blocks away", Matt had said in confusion. "I still want a sign", she had mumbled), had had it the easiest when it came to homesickness. But she had had it the worst, when approached and asked to take over the Solar Blue boarding house. she was living with the memories of her sixteen year old self, and six teenagers who's antics reminded her so much of her housemates.

She had been the protective older sister of her year, protecting the girls from their harsh school friends. But, under no means was she going to go under the label 'mother hen'- Matt had copped hell after a seemingly innocent comment. But, as much as she hated it, she loved it too. She had been absolutely devastated, when she was left at Blue Water and her friends were gone.

So when Anna called, requesting a reunion, she had too happily agreed to host it. At the big boarding house where all seven spent the twelve months they were sixteen in.

_I'm coming home  
I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming home  
Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday  
I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes  
I'm coming home, I'm coming home  
tell the world I'm coming_

After eight long years, the Solar Blue class of 2005 were coming home.


	17. Waking Up in Vegas

**Song: **'Waking Up in Vegas'- Katy Perry  
**Season:** 3  
**Pairing:** Bec/Garry  
**Author: **aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

"_Happy birthday dear Garry, happy birthday to you_!" the six teenagers and Bec Sanderson sang cheerfully, and Garry Miller puffed out the candles on his cake, laughing a little.

"Feel any older?" Guy Spender joked, and Garry had to smile.

"Trust me, mate, with you guys, I'm surprised I'm looking this good".

"I wouldn't say that", Adam Bridge taunted and the three girls gasped in indignation.

"Adam!" Bec laughed.

"Just sayin', I think there's a few grays poking through", Charley Prince played along.

"So, this is the point where we ship you back to the house?" Bec wanted to know.

There was a unanimous groan.

"When you guys are eighteen", Garry promised. "We'll all come back and we'll go out for drinks. Our shout".

"Angus would kill us if he found out".

"He won't find out!" Cassie Cometti said hopefully.

"Back to the house- Bridget, you're in charge". Bec patted Bridget Sanchez on the arm and the blonde smiled, a little of unsure of the events that would follow. "Make sure you lock up the house, we won't be back too late".

"So why's Bridget in charge? Why can't I be in charge?" Guy wanted to know.

"Because we want to actually come back to a house", Garry quipped and Guy clutched his chest.

"Ouch, Garry!"

"come on, head on out, we'll pay for this", Bec told them, and bidding them goodbye, the six teenagers traipsed off in the direction of their big beach house.

Heading towards the surf club, the pair prepared themselves for a night out, away from the kids. They loved their six teenagers dearly, but sometimes, a night away from their almost parental responsibilities was all they needed.

_You gotta help me out  
It's all a blur last night  
We need a taxi  
'Cause you're hung over and I'm broke  
_

"Garry", Bec giggled, , "You've gotta open the house!"

"Shoosh!" Garry bellowed at her, "The kids are asleep!"

"What's the time?" she wanted to know.

He fumbled with the well-worn watch around his wrist, squinting to read in the dark. "Ten past ten… ten to four. I dunno".

"Where's the keys?"

"I dunno". Garry let out a yawn, collapsing on the grass and leaning against the house. "Maybe the kids'll let us in".

Bec knocked gently on the door once, before giving up and sitting beside her housemate. "Think they're in bed".

"Good kids… I love 'em".

"I love 'em", Bec echoed.

_I lost my fake ID  
But you lost the motel key  
Spare me your freaking dirty looks  
Now don't blame me  
_

"I wonder if Bec and Garry are home yet", Bridget whispered into the darkness of the bedroom she shared with Loren. The blonde shrugged, rolling over under her blankets.

"It's just gone midnight; they said they wouldn't be too late".

"Bec also said she didn't climb in the bathroom window, and Fly proved that wrong when she came to visit", Charley said from the doorway. "Is someone going to wait up for them?"

"We've still got training in the morning", Cassie called from her room across the hall. "Night guys".

"Night Cass!" Adam yelled from the top bunk.

So they retreated back to their beds, checking the house was locked one more time before drifting into dreamland.

_You wanna cash out  
And get the hell outta town  
Don't be a baby  
Remember what you told me  
Shut up and put your money where your mouth is  
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas  
Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now  
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas  
_

"How are we gonna get in?" Bec wanted to know.

"Dunno", Garry yawned hugely, leaning on her shoulder. "Wonder what time it is".

"Wonder if the kids are still awake", Bec mused, glancing towards the dark house. "Don't think so… we could climb in through the girls' bathroom!"

"You're a bad influence".

"That's not very nice", she pouted and he grinned, resting his head on her shoulder once more. With a sigh, she put her head on top of his, leaning against the side of the house, the warm spring breeze making them both smile.

_Why are these lights so bright?  
Did we get hitched last night?  
Dressed up like Elvis  
Why am I wearing your class ring?  
Don't call your mother  
'Cause now we're partners in crime  
Don't be a baby  
Remember what you told me  
_

Bridget groaned, smacking her alarm off and rolling over in bed. Kicking off her blankets, she slowly tossed her feet over the side, shuffling sleepily over towards the door.

"Morning Loren!"

"Mmm", Loren moaned. "I'm coming, I'm coming".

"Did Bec and Garry ever come home last night?" Adam wanted to know, emerging from the boys' bedroom with sleepy eyes.

"I think they did", Cassie mumbled, padding out of her own bedroom and glancing down the hallway.

But upon closer inspection, they came up with a conclusion.

"Bec and Garry never came home last night!" Guy said eagerly, showing way too much excitement for that early hour of the morning.

_Shut up and put your money where your mouth is  
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas  
Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now  
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas  
You got me into this  
Information overload, situation lost control  
Send out an S.O.S.  
_

"Oh my God!" Charley yelped, opening the back door and finding Bec and Garry leaning up against the house, both dead asleep.

"what?" Bridget was beside him within seconds, bursting into laughter at the sight. "Good morning!"

"What's going on?" Loren wanted to know, abandoning her cup of tea and following Bridget and Charley's examples. "Hey guys!"

"This is quite the situation", Adam drawled, unable to wipe the smile from his face.

"Don't tell Angus", Bec said sheepishly, rubbing her eyes and shoving Garry off her shoulder.

"You know, Bec", Guy grinned, unable to resist the opportunity, "We have a front door, a back door and several windows that we know you're capable of climbing into".

"Shut up", Garry murmured.

"He couldn't find the keys".

"The keys that are poking out of his pocket?" Cassie checked.

Bec sighed heavily, smacking Garry. "They would be the keys".

"Think of knocking?" Adam tried.

"You guys were asleep. Or ignored us. One of the two", Garry decided, the bright light burning his eyes.

"This is a night to go down in the history books", Loren decided, reaching out a hand to help Bec up.

_Shut up and put your money where your mouth is  
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas  
Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now  
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas  
That's what you get, baby  
Shake the glitter  
Shake, shake, shake the glitter  
Gimme some cash out, baby  
Gimme some cash out, baby_


	18. She Will Be Loved

**Read and review!**

* * *

**Song:**** 'She Will Be Loved'- Maroon 5  
****Season:**** 3  
****Pairing:**** Charley/Loren  
****Author:**** aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)**

Loren Power was the quiet girl. She wasn't the kind of girl who would put herself out there to make friends, she'd rather hang back. She had several close friends, in particular a girl called Stacey. Stacey and Loren had been the best of friends since preschool, and the two were so alike that it was scary. They were the same height and build, and had the same taste in clothing and food.

When they looked in the others' wardrobe, they found their clothes. They never asked to borrow, they just did it. And if the item didn't return, it didn't really matter… the other girl would do the exact same thing only a few days later.

Loren had one younger brother, whereas Stacey had three. Two older and one younger, but they had adopted Loren from a young age. Whenever someone asked how many siblings they had, Loren's brother would answer 'two sisters' and any of Stacey's brothers would answer 'two brothers and two sisters'. People who knew them well enough never questioned it, and they loved it. They were the sisters that each other had never had.

When Stacey and Loren were eleven, the former's godmother passed away from cancer that she had been battling for years. While everyone was upset, Stacey was absolutely inconsolable. Loren stayed at her friend's house for almost two weeks, sitting with her friend and comforting her. Elyse and Daniel Power never questioned it, because they knew exactly where her daughter was and they knew that she was getting the same love and care that she would get in their house.

When they were fourteen, Loren's grandfather passed away, and Stacey repeated her friend's actions from three year earlier. She stayed with the blonde, able to soothe the hurt like no one else was.

It was like the two spoke a silent language- one look between them would send them into uncontrollable fits of laughter for what seemed like hours. A wink, a hand gesture or an eyebrow raise could start or end a conversation. Every movement held a lifetime of knowledge, a lifetime of friendship.

They both tried out for Solar Blue- it had been Loren's dream since she was a little girl, and Stacey loved to surf. But as it turned out, only Loren was offered a position in the Solar Blue class of 2008. She was devastated when Stacey didn't get the same letter of acceptance. But Stacey was absolutely wrapped for her friend.

Together, they got ready for the start of the year. Instead of school supply shopping like they always did, they made their way into town and spent hours upon hours trying on new bikinis and swimwear, selecting a range for Loren to take to Solar Blue. They organised her suitcases so Loren was taking half of her own clothes and half of Stacey's to Sydney, much like their wardrobes were in Laun. And they printed photo upon photo, making copies. Stacey decorated what little space was showing in her bedroom with the photos, while Loren packed hers safely into her backpack to put up around her bed in the Solar Blue boarding house in Sydney.

Despite the fact that Loren was leaving the state, the two girls were excited. Loren, for the adventure she was about to face, and Stacey, for being able to live the dream life of a surfer through her best friend. They didn't admit it to anyone how much one would miss the other, it was silently acknowledged in the tears they shed at the airport in Tasmania, right before Loren boarded her flight.

Because they were alone for the first time in their lives, and it scared the hell out of them.

* * *

"We're going to be late!" Adam called up the stairs of the Solar Blue boarding house. "Let's go!"

"Guy!" Bridget hollered.

"Where's my left shoe?"

"How can you lose one shoe?" Charley laughed. "They were in our room!"

"Guys, you're going to be late!" Garry called. "I'd suggest you get moving!"

"Hurry up!"

It was just another day in the chaotic Solar Blue household, as the six teenagers scurried around to get the last minute school necessities.

"Found it!"

"Let's go!" Adam called again.

And with that, they farewelled Bec and Garry, heading down to the beach to make their way to school.

"Have a good day!" Bec called, like she did every morning.

* * *

"This is the most boring lesson ever", Guy whispered to Bridget and she shushed him quietly, trying not to grin.

"Pay attention", she hissed.

Loren suddenly stood up from her chair, bolting towards the door. Their teacher barely batted an eyelid, but Charley turned to Bridget worriedly.

* * *

"Where's Loren?" Charley wanted to know, as he packed up her bag as well as his own. "Did she ever come back?"

"I'll go and check the bathrooms", Bridget volunteered, slinging her backpack onto her shoulders. "Maybe she felt sick? She ran out pretty quickly".

"I can suss out sick bay?" Guy volunteered. "I'll meet you guys at our usual spot".

So as they headed off in their separate directions, Loren's bag on Charley's shoulder,

And despite searching all through lunch, Loren was nowhere to be found.

"She'll turn up in science", Bridget comforted Charley.

But when she didn't, Charley began to worry harder.

"Should we call Bec?" Cassie wanted to know, as they gathered outside of their science room, her phone in her hand.

"No, maybe she's at home already", Adam suggested. "It's alright. Loren's not stupid; she's not going to do something stupid".

* * *

When they returned to the Solar Blue boarding house, they found Bec's car missing and only Garry in the office.

"Hey, where's Loren?" Charley wanted to know, setting the aforementioned blonde's bag down on the kitchen table. "She disappeared during history and never came back".

"Is she sick?" Guy worried.

A flash of sadness covered Garry's face for a moment, but he shook it off. "Come on, guys, time for training".

* * *

When Bec returned that night, they were shocked to find that Loren wasn't with them.

"She's had to go home", Bec said in explanation at the dinner table. "There's a family matter she's got to deal with- she's okay", she assured them, when she saw the alarm on Bridget's face. "She's alright, she'll be back soon. She's had to head home to Tassie for a bit".

"When's she gonna be back?" Bridget worried.

"Is everyone in her family okay?" Cassie said in an equally worried

"When she comes back", Garry said in the tone he saved for ending arguments. When he used that tone, the topic was closed.

"I bought you guys a box of doughnuts", Bec offered, pulling the plastic box out of the shopping bag. "I figured you guys deserved a treat".

"Pink doughnuts!" Guy said excitedly, letting the child inside him show. "Thanks Bec!"

Charley accepted a pink iced doughnut, but his mind was set on the blonde who had disappeared hours earlier.

* * *

Loren was gone from the Solar Blue house for almost three weeks. And in that time, while they worried silently, they never directly asked Bec and Garry what had happened. Text messages bounced back, her phone went straight to voicemail and essentially, they were worried Loren had dropped off the face of the earth.

"Cassie! Bridget!" Adam hollered up the stairs on one Wednesday morning. "Hurry up; we are going to be late!"

Bridget tossed her pillow down onto Cassie's spare bed, where she had been camped for the past two and a half weeks (despite having had her own room for sixteen years prior to coming to Sydney, the fact that there wasn't another person's even breathing in the adjoining bed made her feel rather lonely), before scraping her hair up into a loose bun. "Cass, we've got to go!" she said urgently, as Cassie grabbed the paper being spat out of the printer.

"Have a good day!" Bec called to their retreating backs, as they headed out the back door. "Be ready to train extra hard when you get home!"

Their laughed echoed out down to the ocean, as they bid the pair goodbye.

"Should we have told them Loz is coming home today?" Garry said, his eyes twinkling.

"Probably", Bec agreed, as she set her mug into the sink. "What time's her flight?"

"She gets in at one; we need to leave by twelve at the absolute latest".

And after filling in paperwork, doing the breakfast dishes and sitting down to a lunch of leftover chicken schnitzel and salad, the climbed into Bec's car to head to the airport.

"There she is", Garry said, pointing as he saw the young blonde. "Loz!"

"Hey Bec", Loren said, as she stepped into the waiting brunette's arms. Bec squeezed her tight, as Loren rested her head on her shoulder. "Hey Garry".

Garry hugged her tight, grinning at her. "Welcome back Loz. You've been missed around here".

Just by looking at her, they could tell that she wasn't the same girl that had left. Her eyes were red, and her cheeks no longer had the rosy pink glow they usually had. She looked tired, like she hadn't slept the whole time she had been gone, but she was back.

"You've been missed", Bec agreed, draping an arm around her, as they moved to collect her bag. "Ready to go home?"

"Yeah", Loren nodded. "I'm ready for the beach".

* * *

"How cold is it?" Adam complained, as they crashed through the back door with a thunder of footsteps on the kitchen tiles. Dropping their backpacks into the corner (despite being told every afternoon that that was not where they belonged- Bec found herself sounding more and more like her mother with every passing day and that scared the hell out of her), they flung open the pantry doors and the fridge, rummaging for food.

"Hey!" Garry laughed, coming into the room. "Did you miss something?"

"Sorry. Hi Garry, hi Bec", Bridget said, as she poured herself a glass of milk.

"What about me?" Loren said quietly from the lounge.

"Lozzy!" Bridget almost dropped her milk as she scurried towards the lounge room, the other four on her heels. Wrapping the blonde in a hug, all five of them noticed the changes in her.

She looked pale. Her cheeks, usually sporting a rosy red glow, were pale and looked thinner. The sparkle in her eyes had disappeared, and she looked absolutely exhausted.

"When did you get home?" Charley laughed. "Hey stranger!"

"About an hour and a half ago, Bec and Garry picked me up". She gave them a small smile, as she returned their hugs. "Sorry, I would have called or something but my phone died and I left the charger here. Alex doesn't have the same phone as me anymore, so I couldn't even borrow his".

"Welcome home", Bridget grinned.

By dinnertime, Loren was fully caught up with everything that had happened in the three weeks she had been away. They had gotten their mark back from their science tests that had joined their points on the scoreboard, Guy had forgotten about the rice the last time he and Bridget cooked dinner and almost burnt down the house, and the temperature in the ocean pool had dropped below freezing (according to Cassie). The sheets on their bed and been changed from summer cotton to winter flannelette, and they had sorely missed Loren and her cooking.

"Also, we've all been invited to a party on Friday night", Guy said as an afterthought, picking at a piece of bread. "You up for a party, Loz?"

"I don't know". Loren shrugged, a small smile on her face.

* * *

"Bye guys!" Guy called, as he disappeared out the back door.

"We'll be picking you up at eleven!" Garry called after them, and Adam waved in acknowledgement at the extended curfew (after a week of thought, Bec and Garry had given in to their protests). "Are you two going to be right, here on your own? Bec and I were going to go out for dinner and maybe a drink, but if you don't want us to, we'll stay".

"No, it's fine", Loren said quickly, having decided to stay home from the party. "I've got some homework to catch up on".

"I'm helping Loren with her homework", Charley said from the other side of the kitchen table. "There's leftover spag bol in the fridge, unless you want to leave us money for pizza…" he let his voice trail off and Bec grinned.

"There's money for pizza in the top drawer. We thought ahead".

"Spag bol's fine", Loren said quietly.

"Well, if you change your mind, there's twenty bucks in the top drawer". Garry gave them a grin. "Have fun!"

"See you later", Charley grinned, waving as Bec and Garry headed out to the van. "Alright, Loz, what are we going to do? Science, maths or history?"

"Maths- we'll get rid of that one first", Loren decided, leading the way upstairs.

Loren opened the top drawer of her half of the desk she and Bridget shared, pulling out her schoolbooks. "Thanks for helping me tonight, Charley".

"No worries", Charley said with a smile, looking around the room. He had been into the bedroom Loren and Bridget shared many, many times, but hadn't really taken the time to observe it.

The walls above Loren's bed were plastered with photographs- Loren and her parents, Loren and a couple he didn't recognise (he assumed to be her aunt and uncle), and Loren and a group of boys (knowing one to be her brother, he jumped to the conclusion that they were her cousins). The majority, however, were of Loren and a girl their age, with long brown hair and a bright smile. He knew that she was Stacey- the girl that Loren involved in all her stories from home.

Glancing around the room, he saw Bridget's towel hanging off the hook (the same towel that she forgot every morning when she trotted off for her shower), but instead of Loren's towel hanging on her respective hook, he saw a black dress. He concluded that she must have headed home for a funeral, the only reason that would constitute a black dress. Loren didn't wear black; the only black she wore was the worn leggings around the house. She was a girl who loved bright colours.

Settling on the floor, leaning against Bridget's bed, Charley opened Loren's maths textbook. "Alright, so we're doing the second chapter of financial maths, because we didn't suffer enough the first time". He grimaced, setting the textbook in between them and lying beside her.

"I can't believe you missed a party to help me with my homework", Loren said to Charley, uncapping a pen. "I mean, you didn't have to do that!"

"I know", Charley agreed from his position beside her. "The only reason we were invited- don't tell Cassie I said this- is because Damien has a thing for Cassie, and knew that it was one in, all in. that's how we all got put on the invitation".

"What about Adam?"

"Cass likes Adam, Damien likes Cass and Adam likes Cass. Damien, however, still thinks he has a chance because Adam hasn't done anything about it. Long story short, Damien's an idiot, Guy was whining about him all last week".

"Why was Guy whining about him?"

"Because they got partnered up in science to dissect an eyeball and Bridget was already paired up with Patrick". Charley shrugged. "Something like that. I don't know, I was working in a group of three with Cass and Adam".

Loren grinned, before reaching for her maths book. "I can't believe how much I missed", she said, changing the subject completely.

"It's alright, we'll catch up", Charley said. "I'll help".

"Thanks, Charley".

The pair worked in almost silence for almost twenty minutes, Charley quietly showing her how to answer the questions she didn't quite understand. But working together, they ploughed through a full exercise, before Loren turned the page.

Her eyes fell on the first question, and she began to read, her heartbeat growing faster and faster with every word.

_**Stacey bought 850 shares with a face value of $5.30. The dividend is 32 cents per share. How much profit did she make?**_

Tears pricked Loren's eyes and she slammed the book shut, fleeing from the room and thundering down the stairs before Charley even registered what had happened.

"Loren?" he called, chasing after her. But in the time it had taken him to stand up, Loren had disappeared. "Loren?"

Opening the back door, he saw her running down towards the edge of the ocean. Frowning in confusion, he chased her down the beach, as she fell into the sand, whitewash water lapping at her.

"Loren!" Charley knelt down beside her in the icy water, seeing the tears streaming down her face. "Loren, what's wrong? What happened?"

Loren threw her arms around him, burying her head in his neck, tears streaming down her face.

"Loren, what happened?" he asked again, holding her tight. She didn't answer, gasping for breath. "Loren, please, what happened? What's made you so upset?" when she didn't say anything, he began to panic. "Oh my God, Loz… do you want me to call Bec? Or Bridget, or Cassie?"

She shook her head silently, not pulling away from him for even a second.

So he stayed there, holding her tight, the waves that lapped around them getting them sufficiently soaked.

After almost twenty minutes of sitting in the cold ocean, Charley couldn't feel his legs and they were both thoroughly chilled to the bone.

"Loz", he whispered to her. "Loren, we need to get up to the house, you're going to get sick if you stay in these cold, wet clothes".

Loren didn't even acknowledge the fact that he spoke and Charley wondered if she had even heard him. So, helping her to her feet, he half carried her (before giving up and slinging the limp girl over his shoulder, hoping she wouldn't hate him for it) towards the house.

"You need to get changed, Loz, you'll get sick", he said gently, and Loren didn't answer. Closing his eyes momentarily, he willed himself to have the courage to undertake the task he knew he had at hand. "Loz, you need to work with me here. I can help you, but there's only so much I can do".

Taking her upstairs and pulling a pair of trackpants and a jumper from the cupboard, he took a deep breath and turned to Loren ("what are you scared of, Charley Prince? You see her in a bikini every single day, it's not like there's that much of a difference!"). Helping her out of her sopping wet clothes and into clean, dry ones was a mission and a half, considering he wasn't sure how conscious she was about it.

He tucked her under the blankets on her bed, before he sat on top of the pillow. Loren buried her head in his lap, and he rubbed her back, stroking her hair back, unsure what had gotten her so upset.

_I don't mind spending every day  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile_

"The dress was for a funeral", Loren offered after a while, motioning to the dress hanging on the hook. Charley glanced at the aforementioned dress, worried about the calm that had set into the blonde, who, only half an hour before, had been sobbing uncontrollably. "For Stacey's funeral".

Hearing Stacey's name made Charley gasp a little, sitting up straighter. "Oh my God, Loren, I-"

"I'm sorry about the way I reacted".

"No, no, no, don't apologise", Charley said softly. "You take as much time as you need to grieve or whatever, to mourn…" his voice trailed off. "You just take your time".

"It was a car accident", Loren said quietly, her blue eyes filling with tears but none of them falling. "They pronounced her dead at the accident".

Charley was quiet, unsure what to say.

"She wasn't driving. One of her new friends from school was driving; they were coming home because they had a free period last. She was wearing a seatbelt as always, and they went around the corner too fast. It was slippery, it had been raining. The car flipped".

Charley swallowed hard, imagining the gruesome scene and hating the fact that Loren's friend had to go that way.

"She called me from the accident. That was who was on the phone the other day in class, it was Stacey. She survived the first part".

Charley's stomach churned, and his face turned ghostly white.

"She was crying and saying that she loved me. She was sorry we were separated, but she was so happy for me that I got into Solar Blue, and I was living my dream. She told me that she wanted me to have her stuff, because some of it is mine anyway. She told me to take care of her brothers and her parents. She told me live a full and happy life. She told me to stop being so shy and withdrawn and let you in, to let you in properly. She said that you deserved to know the Loren that she knew". She took a measured breath, trying to stay in control.

Charley squeezed her hand, unsure of what else to do.

"She sounded fine, Charley. The other girl had already called an ambulance, so Stacey called me. Not her parents or her brothers… she called me". Loren let out a wavering breath, trying so hard to stay in control of her emotions. "I asked her if she was hurt. She didn't tell me. She kept telling me about how I was going to be okay. I was going to fall in love with you. Charley, she sounded so normal. I kept telling her to stop and she was going to be fine. I told her that I was going to be there as soon as I could, and I was going to get straight off the plane and visit her in the hospital. She told me not to. She told me that I had to call her parents, to tell them to meet me at the airport. She told me I had to tell them before the police told them. She told me it had to come from family".

Tears flowed freely, and Loren made no movement to swipe them away.

"I heard the ambulance. She never sounded bad. She sounded fine". Her shaky breaths told Charley more than he needed to know, but he stayed silent, holding her hand. "I heard the ambulance and then Stacey stopped talking. I yelled at her to answer me. She took a breath and said that she loved me, and I was her best friend in the entire world, and I was her sister. She said she'd never loved anyone as much as she loved me. And then she told me the story of how we met, when we were in preschool. She told me how she wanted to be my friend that day, and she loved me her whole life. She said my name one last time. And then she sounded like she was dying. She said she loved me one more time, she said my name one last time. She couldn't breathe, Charley!" she was cut off by her own sobs, and Charley held her tight, hating the fact that he couldn't heal the hurt.

The sobs raged through her body for several minutes, huddled into Charley's chest. He stroked her hair and whispered sweet nothings into her ear. She gained control sooner than Charley thought she would, and without bothering to wipe her face, she began to speak again.

"She said goodbye, Charley. And then she went quiet".

Charley looked at Loren, his eyes wide, unable to comprehend the situation.

"Charley, I heard her take her last breath".

"The phone stayed on while I walked back to the house. The paramedics pronounced her dead at fourteen eleven p.m, at the scene of the accident. Stacey died at two eleven in the afternoon of May tenth". She looked up at him, her eyes pleading for him to understand. "Charley, Stacey's birthday is May eleventh. She died almost seventeen years exactly after her birth".

Charley could barely comprehend the situation, as he looked at her in surprise.

"Mum and Dad picked me up from the airport. I didn't get to tell Stacey's parents and brothers like she wanted me to. They already knew. They already knew the other stuff, too. They gave me her entire wardrobe, because half of it was mine anyway. We spent her birthday- we spent Stacey's seventeenth birthday- planning her funeral and packing up her room. We spent Stacey's birthday crying, because she couldn't celebrate".

Charley couldn't believe the strength of the girl that sat beside him. He couldn't believe that she had listened to her best friend, the most important person in her entire life, die and still carry on.

"We sprinkled her ashes at the beach. I don't even know if that's legal, but we did it anyway. The beach that we'd surf at almost every day, she was always braver then me. She'd always brave the cold before I would. That way, when I go home, and I surf, she'll always be there. She promised me when we were five years old that she would never leave me. And she hasn't". Loren's hand went to the necklace around her neck. "This was Stacey's; she wore it every day since she got it for her sixth birthday. It perfectly represents her. This is my Stacey".

Charley mentally calculated the date- June third. It had been less than a month since Stacey's death, and there was Loren, sharing the entire story with him. Reaching out, he placed a hand on her knee, and Loren looked down, seeing the trackpants she was wearing.

"These were Stacey's favourite. When I go home at the end of the year, I'll sort through everything properly- it's a bit much to have two of everything- but these were Stacey's favourite. She wanted me to take them to Sydney when we first arrived, but I couldn't. I brought back a few of her things with me, but I'll sort everything out when I get home". Patting the soft, worn material, she chuckled humourlessly. "So… that's what's going on".

She looked down, suddenly shy.

Charley was absolutely speechless, failing to find the words. He opened his mouth to talk, and no words came out. Trying to talk, he looked like a fish gasping for air and Loren giggled. Charley was glad to notice that she sounded truly amused.

"Just say whatever you're thinking, don't worry about offending me or something. I've cried myself dry, Charley".

"Honestly, Loz, I don't know what to say. You've been through hell and back in the last month, and here you are talking to me about it and even finding time to laugh. You're handling this so well, and your strength… it's just amazing. I hate the way how that sounds, but I don't know what else to say".

Loren nodded at his sincere expression, and then ducked her head as a pinker than regular blush spread across her cheeks. "Crying helped". It was like she had just realised everything that she had said to him, including what her best friend had told her. How she had to let Charley in, and realise that she liked him.

"Right there, you're the strongest girl I know". Charley grinned at her. "You're amazing, Loz".

"Thanks for being here for me tonight, Charley".

"No worries. I… I didn't want you to be all by yourself". He grinned sheepishly, gtring to explain his good deed.

"Seriously, Charley. Thank you". She leaned into him, squeezing him tight.

There was warmth in her eyes that Charley had never seen before. Even before her world had been turned upside down, and all the smiles that he had seen Loren smile; he had never seen the gentle look on her face. He couldn't help but wonder if the tragic ending was the gateway for something new, a new start. Charley grinned at Loren and squeezed her hand in his.

"Seriously, Loren! You're the strongest girl I know".

"Thanks, Charley". And she gave him another one of those special smiles, and Charley felt himself melt a little.

_I don't mind spending every day  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
_


	19. Who Knew

**R&R! xo**

* * *

**Song:**** 'Who Knew'- Pink  
****Season:**** 1  
****Pairing:**** Edge/Bec  
****Author:**** aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)**

_You took my hand  
You showed me how  
You promised me you'd be around  
Uh huh  
That's right  
I took your words  
And I believed  
In everything  
You said to me  
Yeah huh  
That's right  
_

Being back in the Solar Blue house, after three years of being out on her own, Bec Sanderson was flooded with memories. The memories of twelve months, the best twelve months of her life, within those walls, with the people she had considered her best friends. She had fallen in love and had her heart broken simultaneously within those walls, by the boy who had claimed they had just had a fishbowl friendship.

If someone had told her that three years after graduating, she'd be back in the Solar Blue boarding house with the prospect of six teenagers of her own arriving twenty four hours later, she would have laughed.

And if someone had told her that three years after graduating as part of the Soalr Blue class of 2005, she'd have lost contact with everyone who had been such an important part of her life within those twelve months, her feisty little seventeen year old self would have punched them out.

_If someone said three years from now  
You'd be long gone  
I'd stand up and punch them out  
Cause they're all wrong  
I know better  
Cause you said forever  
And ever  
Who knew  
_

Getting the job as the new head of Solar Blue, taking over from Simmo, who had been running the academy for years, was daunting for the twenty year old.

She knew the place back to front and inside out, having grown up only two blocks away, but it didn't mean she knew anything about handling teenagers (she didn't know how Simmo, Jilly and Deb had done it- they'd seen it all, with the class of 2005).

It didn't mean she knew how to run a household, how to cook and clean and necessarily keep six kids alive (she could still hear Matt and Heath's taunting voices, as she and Edge had served up sausages that were essentially sticks of charcoal. "Someone told me eating burnt things gives you cancer". "No one asked you, Perri").

_Remember when we were such fools  
And so convinced and just too cool  
Oh no  
No no  
I wish I could touch you again  
I wish I could still call you friend  
I'd give anything  
_

But she knew that she'd survive. Because she'd lived under the rule of Simmo for a year, and the man had taught her everything, being the father figure for the group.

She knew the tricks of the trade- she knew that the easiest way to sneak in was through the girls' bathroom window (keeping in mind the loose brick on the frame that could alert whoever was on prowling duty). She knew that on the very first night, they would lounge around in the pool room until an ungodly hour of the morning, to be woken up spot on five thirty. She knew that friendships- the best friendships of their lives- would be formed, and even romances.

But she also knew that they could get their hearts broken in the blink of an eye.

_Remember when we were such fools  
And so convinced and just too cool  
Oh no  
No no  
I wish I could touch you again  
I wish I could still call you friend  
I'd give anything  
_

She'd fallen, and she'd fallen hard, for rebel Dean Edgely. The two were polar opposites, and yet they were the same in every sense of the word. He had told her- promised her- that Sydney was going to be his base for the pro circuit, and yet she had never seen him again, since that last night in Solar Blue.

She'd wore her heart on her sleeve and had it been stomped on.

_When someone said count your blessings now  
'fore they're long gone  
I guess I just didn't know how  
I was all wrong  
They knew better  
Still you said forever  
And ever  
Who knew  
_

Bec Sanderson, the head of Solar Blue Surf Academy, taking over from Simmo, knew all the tricks of the trade. And she was going to be the best role model that she could be, for the kids she would come to call her own.

And unlike four years earlier, she wasn't going to watch them get their hearts broken on the very last day. she was going to make sure that they stayed friends, the bonds formed in the house not being called fishbowl.

Because she knew how badly it hurt.


	20. Big Girls Don't Cry

**Song: **'Big Girls Don't Cry'- Fergie  
**Season:** 1/2  
**Pairing:** Heath/Fly  
**Author: **aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

Fly hadn't wanted to leave Blue Water, when their year in the boarding house was up. She hadn't wanted to say goodbye to Perri and Anna and Edge. She didn't want to say goodbye to Bec or Matt- and especially not Heath. He was her prince charming in board shorts, the boy who had been there since the very first day.

When she found herself back on a bus to make the three day journey from Margaret River, West Aus, to Blue Water, Sydney, again for another twelve months (after deciding to defer her place on the circuit for a year), she expected to see Bec, knowing that the girl lived only two blocks away. Seeing her on the beach would be almost inevitable, before she decided what she was going to do with herself for the year.

But who she hadn't expected to see was Heath.

_The smell of your skin lingers on me now  
You're probably on your flight back to your home town  
I need some shelter of my own protection, baby  
To be with myself and center  
Clarity, peace, serenity_

She had been absolutely ecstatic, over the moon excited. And Heath had been just excited, swinging her into the air and squeezing her so tight she thought she was going to burst. Because they were Heath and Fly, and after moving back to their hometowns, they were together again.

But they both knew it wouldn't be for good. Heath was only temporarily at the Solar Blue house, as he and Bec took over from house mother Jilly while she was on holidays (much to Deb and Simmo's amusement- she was the girl who couldn't cook and the he was boy who didn't clean).

_I hope you know, I hope you know  
That this has nothing to do with you  
It's personal, myself and I  
We've got some straightenin' out to do  
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket  
But I've got to get a move on with my life  
It's time to be a big girl now  
And big girls don't cry  
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry_

So when Heath approached her and told her that he was leaving, she didn't cry. She knew that it was inevitable, that the two were going to go their own ways again. But in a way it was strangely comforting, knowing that they had had the time back in the Solar Blue house.

"I love you, Fly Watson", he had burst out at random, as he lay beside her on the edge of the pool.

She glanced over at him, grinning. "I love you too, Heath Carroll".

And they did. They loved each other, in a way that neither could explain.

_The path that I'm walkin', I must go alone  
I must take the baby steps 'til I'm full grown, full grown  
Fairy tales don't always have a happy ending, do they?  
And I foresee the dark ahead if I stay_

"Are you sure you have to go?" Fly wanted to know, as she watched Edge pack his things into his backpack (because Heath travelled light, something they had found out on their first competition- Heath had packed a toothbrush and shirt and slung his sleeping bag over his shoulder. "Ready to go guys, what taking so long?").

_I hope you know, I hope you know  
That this has nothing to with you  
It's personal, myself and I  
We've got some straightenin' out to do  
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket  
But I've got to get a move on with my life  
It's time to be a big girl now  
And big girls don't cry_

"We need one last game of Scrabble before we go!" Bec declared, pulling the board down from the shelf.

"Shaboodle is a word", Heath said immediately- his only argument.

("Heath, you just can't make up words!" "Perri, 'shaboodle' is a word. Kit and shaboodle!" "That kit and caboodle, Heath. Ca-boodle!")

With the three of them gathered around the board, it wasn't the same. They didn't follow the rules (not really, Fly decided) and Bec allowed Heath to get away with all of his made up words. Because it wasn't the same without Perri there to back her up.

It wasn't the same, now that they had left.

_Like the little school mate in the school yard  
We'll play jacks and Uno cards  
I'll be your best friend and you'll be mine  
Valentine  
Yes, you can hold my hand if you want to  
'Cause I want to hold yours too  
We'll be playmates and lovers  
And share our secret worlds_

As she jumped in the van with Simmo to take Heath to the bus stop (Heath had wanted to walk, but Simmo had insisted and thrown his belongings into the van before Heath could work out how to protest), she remembered all the times they had ridden in those same seats. All the times where Heath would argue shamelessly with Edge, knowing full well that he was wrong and yet continue to fight. The times where they would sit, hand in hand, in a comfortable silence as the others slept around them. Their pointless conversations that went in circles, the childish games of 'I spy' out the windows.

Because so much had happened, and yet so little at all.

_But it's time for me to go home  
It's getting late, dark outside  
I need to be with myself, and center  
Clarity, peace, serenity  
I hope you know, I hope you know  
That this has nothing to do with you  
It's personal, myself and I  
We've got some straightenin' out to do  
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket  
But I've got to get a move on with my life  
It's time to be a big girl now  
And big girls don't cry  
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry_

She didn't cry when she said goodbye to Heath Carroll, her first true love, because she knew she would see him again. She didn't cry when she left Solar Blue Surf Academy for a second time, because she knew she would be back. She knew she was changed, because of the places she had been and the people she had met.

Fiona 'Fly' Watson had entered the house as a tiny fifteen year old, the youngest and the smallest ('Little Fly' to Matt, a name she resented and loved all at once), and had left two years later a mature, grown up woman.

And in the words of her eldest sister Kate, upon returning to Margaret River, Western Australia, 'little Fly's grown up! She's a big girl now!'.


	21. A Thousand Years

**Song:** 'A Thousand Years'- Christina Perri  
**Season:** 1  
**Pairing:** Edge/Bec  
**Author:** aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

Rebecca Sanderson had never expected herself to become a military wife.

Correction- Rebecca Edgely had never expected herself to become a military wife. She had thought she was going to conquer the world on the pro-circuit, Dean Edgely (the love of her sixteen year old self's life) at her side.

But life hadn't turned out the way she had planned.

Edge had won the spot on the circuit, and Bec had headed up to Queensland for uni. But a year later, Edge had turned up on her doorstep with flowers, apologising uncontrollably for not returning to Sydney despite the promises he made.

_Heart beats fast  
Colors and promises  
How do be brave  
How can I love when I'm afraid  
To fall  
But watching you stand alone  
All of my doubt  
Suddenly goes away somehow  
One step closer_

She had been afraid that she was going to fall. Not that she was going to fall, but she was going to get hurt, like when he had left her after they finished their year at Solar Blue.

And she'd fallen. She'd fallen even harder than she had when they were sixteen and in the throes of competition throughout the year, deeming the boy her prince in multi-coloured board shorts.

And Edge had fallen back, just as hard. The two spent every waking moment together, as he all but moved into her tiny campus room, bringing his bits and pieces with him.

They'd gotten married when they were eighteen and a half, the entire Solar Blue class of 2005 making their way to their wedding in Sydney. They'd laughed and cried and never would have imagined that they'd make it to that point in their lives.

By the time they were nineteen and a half, they'd celebrated their first wedding anniversary (apart, as Edge was in the Northern Territory) and welcomed their first child into the world. Kai Amelia Edgely was weighed in at six pounds even, and her parents had fallen head over heels in love with her the moment they saw her.

But Edge knew his time with the newborn was going to be limited, as once again his deportment was looming.

_I have died everyday  
waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid  
I have loved you for a  
Thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_

Three months after Kai was born, Edge was sent overseas to Afghanistan, and Bec was left wondering how she was supposed to survive on her own. But, despite how long the time was, he had returned two days before their little girl's first birthday.

He was home for another full year- in which six pound eight ounce Thomas Craig was born- before sent overseas again. That time, it was even harder, as Bec tried to balance life with a three month old and a very active one year old. So, over Skype, Bec and Edge made the decision to move back to Blue Water, where Bec and the kids would be near her parents, and have the support she hadn't had in Queensland.

It felt like coming home. Back to the place where she had grown up and they'd fallen in love, where their kids had free range of the beach she had known from their tiny ages. Where they got to play every day with their grandma and grandpa and Uncle Joe and Uncle Ben, and where Bec got to see the surf academy that had essentially changed her life.

"I didn't expect Edge to go military", Simmo said casually, over a cup of coffee in the Solar Blue kitchen, almost two year old Kai perched on his knee cheerily.

"Neither did I, if I'm honest", she admitted, not quite one year old Tom leaning against her chest, his eyelids fluttering heavily. "But he loves it. He hates being away for so long, but he loves it. I think that if he could be in two places at once, he would. He wants to see Kai and Tom grow up, Edge misses them".

"Daddy", Kai said seriously, nodding, and Bec smiled at her.

"That's right, Daddy", she agreed.

The family of three went to the airport to meet their husband and father, the fourth member, and it was a reunion of epic proportions. Kai took off running before Bec could even catch her arm, and Edge lifted the three of them into his arms, peppering them with kisses.

_Time stands still  
Beauty in all she is  
I will be brave  
I will not let anything  
Take away  
What's standing in front of me  
Every breath,  
Every hour has come to this  
One step closer_

"It's good to have you back, mate!" Simmo said cheerfully, slapping Edge on the back and shaking his hand enthusiastically. "You've been missed around here!"

Kai had barely left her father's side, as she wrapped her arms around his neck a little tighter. "Daddy's back!"

"Daddy's back", Bec said with a grin, Tom on her hip. "We're glad to have him back, aren't we Kai pie?"

She knew it wouldn't be for very long- once February came around, Edge would be going overseas again for a seven month stint. But for the time being, her soldier was on home turf, where he should be.

_I have died everyday  
Waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid  
I have loved you for a  
Thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_

"What?" Bec's eyes widened, and Edge glanced at her, worried that her eyeballs, although it was claimed to be physically impossible, might actually fall out of her head. "You want me to take over Solar Blue? Are you insane?"

"It's a big responsibility, but I know you can do it", Simmo said to her, reaching out to pat her hand. "I mean, look how far you've come since you left in 2005. You got married and had two kids, holding down the fort while Edge went overseas. You can do this, Bec, I know you can".

"It'll be like having eight kids, instead of two", Edge chuckled, glancing towards Kai and Tom on the sand. "Bec, it'll be awesome".

"Can I think about it?" she said, after a full minute of silence. "Like, can I let you know in the morning or something?"

Everyone knew that she would take the job- even Bec knew that she would take the job. But there was a difference, moving into the boarding house with her husband there, as opposed to being a single mother for the time. Knowing that, instead of being a coach, Edge would just be living there, was completely different.

_And all along I believed  
I would find you  
Time has brought  
Your heart to me  
I have loved you for a  
Thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_

And they did. They moved into the Solar Blue boarding house on the beach, a week before the kids were due to arrive, and a week before Bec was due to organised a coach.

"You could do it, if I can't find someone?" she said, as she opened one of the many filing cabinets in the office. "God, this place hasn't changed".

"Yes it has", Edge argued. "I don't recall us having VIDEO GAMES AND FOXTEL!"

She snickered, remembering his reaction to the new lounge room additions. "Times have changed, Edgely".

_One step closer  
One step closer_

By the end of the first week, Bec really couldn't imagine doing anything else with her life. Moving into the boarding house and meeting the kids- she knew exactly what Simmo had meant when he had called them 'his kids'. Because they were. No matter what happened, Bec was responsible for Adam, Charley, Guy, Cassie, Loren and Bridget- and her own two munchkins. Garry Miller, coach for the year, had found himself in the role of beloved Uncle Garry for Kai and Tom, making Edge laugh and know that if he wasn't there to protect his family, Garry would be.

"What day are you leaving?" Garry wanted to know, as he handed Edge a beer (a rarity with the kids in the house, but they were at the movies, one of their first bonding experiences as a group).

"Twentieth of February", Edge replied, taking a long swig. "It's not for as long this time, but it doesn't mean it'll be any easier to leave Bec and the kids".

_I have died everyday  
Waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid,  
I have loved you for a  
Thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_

When it came time for Edge to depart the country once more, the whole household came to say their goodbyes. With Garry behind the wheel of the van with their hoard of teenagers, Bec sat behind the wheel of her car, the kids strapped into the backseat, Edge sitting shotgun and not knowing how to say goodbye.

"Say bye to Daddy", Bec said thickly, holding Tom in her arms, the little boy holding onto her with one arm. Kai had her arms wrapped around Edge's neck, tears streaming down her face

"Don't go, Daddy!" she almost begged, and Edge felt his heart break a little more.

"I'll be back, baby girl", he promised, kissing her forehead gently. "Daddy's got to go, but I'll be back, okay? I promise".

Kai pressed her lips to her father's in a sloppy kiss, holding him tight.

"come back soon, soldier", Bec whispered against his lips, accepting Kai in her free arm before Garry took her, holding her gently and wiping away her tears. "We'll be waiting. I love you".

"I love you more". Edge kissed her gently, before giving them a final wave. "Stay cool, gang".

"Bye Edge!"

"Bye!"

"Stay safe!"

"We'll miss you!"

Somehow, having the support of their Solar Blue family made Edge's leave seem shorter. While Bec had often struggled when she was by herself in Queensland (granted, she had even struggled when she was by herself in Blue Water, despite her parents living on the next street), she found it a lot easier that time around. While Edge wasn't there to help with the kids, she had the help of Garry and his girlfriend Anna and the six teenagers.

(She had specifically told them at the beginning of the year that they were not live in babysitters, but more often than not she found Bridget curled up on the lounge with Kai on her lap and Tom squeezed beside her, a well-worn story book between them.)

_And all along I believed  
I would find you  
Time has brought  
Your heart to me  
I have loved you for a  
Thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_

It was a long six months. But nothing compared to the feeling Bec had in her heart, when she saw Edge come through the big sliding doors, and the screams of delight she heard from her children.

"Daddy!"

"Daddy!"

Their two little blue eyed blondies (looking absolutely nothing like their mother, to Bec's dismay) took off and Edge knelt down, lifting the two of them above his head and twirling them around, peppering them with kisses.

"Kai pie! Thomas the Tank!" and when he glanced up and saw his wife, the beautiful brunette he had fallen in love with at sixteen, his eyes lit up even brighter. "Bec!"

"Welcome home soldier", she whispered, before smashing her lips against his.


	22. When You're Gone

**Song:**'When You're Gone'- Avril Lavigne  
**Season:**1  
**Pairing: **Fly/Heath  
**Author**:aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

Fly didn't think they were a couple. Not a real couple, at least. They were just friends. A friends who were in like, perhaps.

Not like Edge and Bec, whose sexual tension could be sliced with a butter knife (although if Bec knew she had said that, she would murder her in her sleep). Or Anna and Joe, who were so much more than friends (although Anna wasn't saying anything to Bec because the brunette would probably accuse her of trying to break her brother's heart). And Perri and Matt, who were suspiciously closer than they had been earlier in the year (and Fly wouldn't put it past Bec to march into the boys' room and tell Matt that if he hurt her roommate, she would hurt him).

(Bec had a heart of gold, but was fiercely protective. Like a mother hen, a nickname she resented.

_I always needed time on my own  
I never thought I'd need you there when I cry  
And the days feel like years when I'm alone  
And the bed where you lie is made up on your side  
When you walk away I count the steps that you take  
Do you see how much I need you right now?_

But despite the fact that she and Heath were not a couple, she missed him. She wasn't entirely sure what she missed, but there was something not the same about their friendship now that Jane had come along.

She missed his smile. The way he would greet her every morning, without fail, with a sleepy grin, before joining the end of the procession to go down the stairs to the beach. The way he would grin over his cereal spoon at breakfast as Simmo went off on one of his rants about how coming home from school in time was important and stopping along the way for hamburgers and milkshakes was not necessary that time in the afternoon. She missed the way he would roll his eyes during Deb's speeches about their bonding time, and the way he would, without fail, bring up the time they went bowling and Deb rolled her ball into the gutter every turn she had.

_When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
When you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
When you're gone  
The words I need to hear to always get me through  
The day and make it ok  
I miss you_

"Where's Heath?" Matt wanted to know, as he glanced around the dinner table.

"He's out with Jane", Perri said bitterly, glaring at Heath's empty seat. "he asked me to help him with the English homework and completely blew me off, can someone tell him I'm annoyed at him?"

"Does anyone know when Heath's going to be home?" Simmo interrupted.

"If he breaks curfew he's grounded, right?" Edge checked.

"Yep".

_I've never felt this way before  
Everything that I do reminds me of you  
And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor  
And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do  
When you walk away I count the steps that you take  
Do you see how much I need you right now?_

"Heath!" Anna screeched the next afternoon, and Heath poked his head out of the kitchen.

"What's up, Annie?"

"What is wrong with you? Stop leaving your things lying around, I almost killed myself on your school shoes!"

Heath Carroll was notorious for leaving his belongings lying around. They all hated it with a passion, as they tripped over shoes and his backpack- and no one would forget the fit Perri pitched when she stumbled into the girls' bathroom at three a.m and blindly knocked over a bottle of chemical solution for his photography development.

("HEATH CARROLL I AM GOING TO DROWN YOU IN THIS SINK!" she had screamed at the top of her lungs, directly into the boys' bedroom, and Heath had simply tossed his pillow at her, rolling over. Matt and Edge had then directed insults at Perri for waking them up at three in the morning, and Perri had indignantly stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, yelling right back. The girls had emerged to check if Perri was alright, and Simmo had pulled out the megaphone, hollering "YOU NEED TO BE UP IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS I SUGGEST YOU ALL GET BACK INTO BED!")

But even that, Fly didn't mind so much.

So, during the next week, when his things disappeared from the floors and the shelves and the kitchen bench (Perri was amazed, when she didn't find a stack of newly developed photographs sitting by the toaster, like she had every Saturday morning since they had arrived), Fly missed it.

_When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
And when you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
And when you're gone  
The words I need to hear to always get me through  
The day and make it ok  
I miss you_

"What's up Fly?" Anna said, as she hung her towel up on the hook on the back of the door. "You don't seem yourself".

"Nothing much", Fly said, lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. "Nice game tonight, Annie".

"Thank you!" Anna grinned at her.

Tuesday night scrabble was tradition in the Solar Blue boarding house, and while it was sometime mixed up with a game of Monopoly, it was a tradition they stuck to.

"It was weird, with just the six of us", Anna commented. "We didn't even get to hear Perri tell Heath that the words weren't real".

Because, yet again, Heath had turned them down in favour of Jane.

_We were made for each other  
Out here forever  
I know we were, yeah  
And all I ever wanted was for you to know  
Everything I'd do, I'd give my heart and soul  
I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me, yeah_

She didn't know why she let it bother her. But it did. And she hated it. She hated Jane, and she just wanted their Heath back.

She just wanted her Heath back.

_When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
And when you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
And when you're gone  
All the words I need to hear will always get me through  
The day and make it ok  
I miss you_


	23. Don't Want to Miss a Thing

**Song: **'Don't Want to Miss a Thing'- Aerosmith  
**Season:** 1 (futurefic)  
**Pairing:** Heath/Fly  
**Author: **aussiebabe290 (Rhyleigh)

* * *

_I could stay awake just to hear you breathing  
Watch you smile while you are sleeping  
While you're far away and dreaming  
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender  
I could stay lost in this moment forever  
Where every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure_

Once upon a time, Heath Carroll had just been the boy with too many dreams, too busy living in the moment to take life seriously. Once upon a time, he was just the surfer boy taking photos on the side, trying to make his way into Solar Blue Surf Academy.

And he had. He had spent the year in Blue Water, surfing the Sydney beaches and training with Australia's top surfing coach. Simmo was a mentor and a father figure, and he couldn't have asked for a better way to spend his sixteenth year.

Partly because he had met the love of his life.

Fiona 'Fly' Watson, the tiny, youngest member of the group. A full eleven months younger than everyone else, she was the baby, but no one would ever know by the way she acted. Sweet and innocent, Fly had a haert of gold, and that was what attracted Heath to her.

_Don't want to close my eyes  
I don't want to fall asleep  
Cause I'd miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing  
Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream will never do  
I'd still miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing_

He had fallen for her.

By some miracle, Fly had fallen for Heath too.

_Lying close to you feeling your heart beating  
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming  
Wondering if it's me you're seeing  
Then I kiss your eyes  
And thank God we're together  
I just want to stay with you in this moment forever  
Forever and ever_

They spent their year at Solar Blue together, being that unorthodox couple that everyone loved. Everyone thought they would last, but when Fly got accepted onto the pro circuit and Heath didn't, they parted ways on the best of terms.

But when Heath found out that Fly was deferring her placeon the circuit, opting for another year in the Blue Water boarding house, he met her there. They were unofficially together throughout Fly's second year in Solar Blue, although everyone knew they were.

When Fly joined the pro circuit, Heath followed. He assisted her withher boards, he pulled her suitcase, he took her photos. Essentially, Heath was her personal assistant and professional photographer, and she loved it.

She loved him.

_I don't want to close my eyes  
I don't want to fall asleep  
Cause I'd miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing  
Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream will never do__  
__I'd still miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing_

When they were twenty two and lying on the beach in Tahiti, basking in the moonlight, he slipped a ring onot her finger, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. To his surprise (and utter relief) she said yes. They were married on the sand of Blue Water Beach, everyone from the academy coming home to celebrate with them.

_I don't want to miss one smile  
I don't want to miss one kiss  
I just want to be with you  
Right here with you, just like this  
I just want to hold you close  
Feel your heart so close to mine  
And just stay here in this moment  
For all the rest of time yeah yeah yeah_

A positive pregnancy test changed their lives. And when little Poppy Elyse screeched her way into the world on May eleventh, at six pounds five ounces, they became parents.

Poppy was a water baby from the beginning- and Heath found his heart stretching evne more, to accommodate the new girl in his life.

_I don't want to close my eyes  
I don't want to fall asleep  
Cause I'd miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing  
Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream will never do  
I'd still miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing_

When Poppy was just fourteen months old, they welcomed Cody Matthew into the world, and their hearts. A baby brother for little Poppy and a son for Heath and Fly. Just like his sister, he loved the water, and Heath found himself spending every day down on the beach with his family.

At sixteen, he didn't imagine he'd get the girl, let alone the family.

That's what they were. They were a family.

Heath, Fly, Poppy and Cody.

_I don't want to close my eyes  
I don't want to fall asleep  
Cause I'd miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing  
Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream will never do  
I'd still miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing_

It was nights like this that Heath loved. Where his kids fell asleep between he and his wife, smelling like sweet baby shampoo and talcum powder, their downy hair soft on top of their heads. It didn't matter that his bed was being overrun with teddy bears and mink blankets with cartoon characters on them, he was sharing it with the three most important people in his world.

Smiling softly into the night, he leaned over to kiss the top of Fly's head, as she protectively curled an arm around Cody. Brushing back her hair, he smiled at her, before kissing the top of Cody's head.

"Love you Fly", he whispered. "Love you Cody". And he pressed a kiss to the top of Poppy's head, from where she had curled into his chest. "Love you Poppy".

He didn't want to miss a minute.

_Don't want to close my eyes  
I don't want to fall asleep  
And I don't want to miss a thing_


End file.
